Turkey begins construction of 500 homes in Albania

BELGRADE, Serbia

The construction of hundreds of houses in Albania has began after a devastating earthquake hit the Adriatic nation in November, Turkey's Minister of Environment Murat Kurum said Friday.

"We have started to prepare the construction of 500 houses and additional social equipment," said Kurum after meeting Albanian President Ilir Meta as part of an official visit to the capital, Tirana.

Kurum said Turkey's President Erdogan wanted construction of the permanent residences to cover the wounds of Albanians after the earthquake.

He added the reason for his visit is to talk about the evaluation phase of the projects, sign protocols and inform authorities.

Meta thanked Erdogan for the effective work of Turkey's disaster management and for its very quick help.

The earthquake the Adriatic coastal city of Durres on Nov. 26 and killed 51 people and injured more than 900 others.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) state aid agency delivered 500 food packages and 500 blankets to quake victims.