AM:11:16:13/03/2023
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SULAIMANI — Turkey has mobilized all of its institutions,
personnel and resources for disaster-hit areas since the earthquakes struck its
southern provinces last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday
(March 12).
"No one should have any doubt that all the means of the
state and the nation have been mobilized for the earthquake zone," Erdogan
said in quake-hit Hatay’s Samandag district.
"We have mobilized our military, police, gendarmerie,
healthcare professionals, educators, personnel of all relevant institutions and
all our vehicles, from aircraft to helicopters and ships, for our earthquake
victims," he said.
There is no country that can respond faster than Turkey in
the face of such a disaster in which the death toll reached 48,000, the injured
exceeded 115,000, and 50,000 buildings were destroyed, he added.
The government plans to complete the construction of the
"urgently needed 244,000 houses and 75,000 village houses within a
year" in Hatay, he said.
"So far, we have set up 426,000 tents in the earthquake
zone, and we plan to put into service 100,000 containers within two months,” he
said earlier in Kirikhan, a district in Hatay.
Later on Sunday, Erdogan toured the Qatar-Turkey Brotherhood
Container City in Hatay, which was established with containers sent by Qatar.
Qatar promised to send 10,000 containers, and they are being
delivered gradually.
While 1,000 containers have arrived, 4,000 others are on the
way. The number of containers sent to the region will reach 10,000 within a month.
Erdogan said that Qatar, as always, showed its generosity in
the wake of last month’s earthquakes and provided significant financial aid to
Turkey.
"In the meantime, we started the construction of permanent
residences.
Hopefully, we will meet the urgent need by completing the
construction of 244,000 houses and 75,000 village houses within a year,” he
said.
Around half a million people, including public officials,
volunteers and members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) rushed to the
quake-hit region to provide help.
More than 47,900 people were killed in Turkey in the quakes
on Feb. 6, according to official figures.
Over 13 million people in Turkey have been affected by the
powerful quakes.
(NRT Digital Media/AA)