Turkish firms step up production of containers to house quake survivors

By Deniz Cicek Palabiyik

ANKARA (AA) - Industrialists are ramping up efforts to meet the urgent shelter needs of earthquake survivors in Türkiye.

Some 13 million people were impacted by the Feb. 6 twin tremors, which flattened thousands of buildings and have so far claimed over 44,300 lives across 11 southern Turkish provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig, and Sanliurfa.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Turkish Industry and Technology Ministry said it set up a crisis center to coordinate relief efforts, with the initial focus being on production and supply of emergency equipment for search and rescue teams.

The priority has now shifted to manufacturing containers to provide more permanent shelter to survivors, the ministry said.

The center is working in close coordination with the Turkish disaster management agency AFAD to ensure that containers reach the affected regions as soon as possible, the statement added.

The ministry said Türkiye’s largest container manufacturers are working on a “24/7 basis with a three-shift system” to meet the need for temporary shelters.

Mehmet Selcuk Yucesoy, a manager at Turkish construction firm Dorce Prefabrik, said the supply chain holds “great importance for production,” thanking the government for “removing the obstacles in … this process.”

“We have started sending 200 to 250 prefabricated temporary living shelters, and we plan to increase this figure to 1,500,” he said.

Orhan Turan, the chairman of Nuris Prefabrik, said the company is manufacturing containers that AFAD defines as “temporary living houses.”

“These have two rooms, a toilet, a bathroom, and a small kitchen. There are also heaters for hot water,” he said.

“These containers will meet all the needs of a family,” he added.

Ersan Tufekci, the general manager of Kalyon PV Solar Technologies, said his company is making solar panels to power the container cities established for quake survivors.

“We will always overcome such difficult days by working together in unity and solidarity,” he said.

Apart from efforts to ensure proper temporary accommodation, the Turkish government aims to start handing over new houses to survivors within a year’s time.

*Writing and contribution by Gokhan Ergocun from Istanbul