Türkiye continues with debris removal efforts in quake-hit region: President

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye intensively continues with the debris removal efforts in the quake-hit southern region, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

"We continue our debris removal efforts intensively. While the construction of our permanent residences continues unabated, we have promised to complete them within one year," Erdogan said during his address to earthquake victims and search and rescue teams in the capital Ankara.

Türkiye plans to construct enough buildings in a year to meet the needs of the quake victims. Erdogan previously pledged that 319,000 houses would be built in the first year and 650,000 in total.

On Feb. 6, magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck 11 Turkish provinces — Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

Around 14 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the quakes, as well as many others in northern Syria.

Erdogan also said the debris removal will be completed in all provinces, except Hatay, by the start of the Eid al-Fitr holiday on April 21, marking the end of the holy Ramadan month.

"We will deliver some of the village houses until Eid al-Fitr," he added.