Türkiye to start construction of houses in quake-hit areas next month: President Erdogan

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye will start the construction of houses in quake-hit areas in March, the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in the wake of two major earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6.

The construction of nearly 200,000 houses for quake victims will start in March in 11 provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig – all of which were affected by the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, Erdogan said at a briefing in the southern Hatay province.

The need for shelter of over 1.68 million people who were affected by twin earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, was met, he added.

Also, nearly 115,000 survivors have been rescued so far from the rubble following the quakes, he added.

At least 41,156 people were killed and 105,505 others injured in two powerful earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest official figures.

In Syria, at least 5,840 people were killed by the deadly quakes.