New life in Azerbaijani Quarter: Kahramanmaraş residents grateful to President Aliyev for support

The first group of residents of the Azerbaijani Quarter in the city of Kahramanmaraş, selected by the authorities through a lottery, is now settling into their new apartments.

In a conversation with Azertac, the new homeowners expressed their gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani people for their assistance in recovering from the February 2023 earthquakes, Caliber.Az reports.

Government employee Ahmet Metin shared that his home, like many others, was severely damaged and subsequently demolished. In its place, with support from Azerbaijan, a new modern residential building was constructed.

“Our family was allocated a four-room apartment through the lottery. I would like to sincerely thank the Azerbaijani state and President Ilham Aliyev personally for their attention and support. Our brothers from Azerbaijan stood by the people of Kahramanmaraş from the very beginning. We will never forget this support,” said Metin, adding that he plans to move into the new apartment as soon as the address change is processed with utility services.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Musa Kuş, a businessman and recipient of a three-room apartment in the Azerbaijan Quarter.

He noted that he previously owned a plot of land where the large housing complex is now nearing completion.

“The new apartment I received through the lottery is very beautiful and comfortable—it even has a terrace. I want to thank brotherly Azerbaijan and the leaders of our countries for not abandoning us in our time of need. We are all sincerely grateful to President Ilham Aliyev,” said Kuş.

He added that he has already moved his belongings into the apartment and plans to move in soon.

It was noted that some of the apartments allocated to residents from the disaster zone are fully furnished and equipped with appliances.

For the record, the executive body for the Azerbaijan Quarter project on the Azerbaijani side is the State Agency for Housing Construction. The Turkish side of the project is being implemented by the State Housing Development Administration.

In February 2023, Türkiye’s Kahramanmaraş province was struck by a catastrophic Mw 7.8 earthquake, followed nine hours later by a powerful Mw 7.5 aftershock. These devastating events caused widespread destruction across Kahramanmaraş and neighboring provinces, resulting in the collapse of hundreds of thousands of buildings. The human toll was staggering: over 50,000 lives were lost, around 100,000 people were injured, and millions were left homeless. This disaster ranks among the deadliest and most severe earthquakes in modern Turkish history.

In response to this humanitarian crisis, Azerbaijan has committed significant resources to aid the long-term recovery of the affected communities. The Azerbaijani government has initiated the construction of a new residential district, named “Azerbaijani Quarter,” specifically designed to provide durable housing and essential services for those displaced by the disaster.

Spanning 32 hectares, the project is being overseen by Azerbaijan’s State Housing Construction Agency, with a budget of $100 million allocated to its development. The district will comprise 71 four-storey residential buildings, offering a total of 1,323 flats with two to four bedrooms. Complementing the housing units, the plan includes 799 commercial and service spaces aimed at revitalizing local economic activity and supporting small businesses.

Beyond residential and commercial needs, the district will feature comprehensive infrastructure to nurture community life and wellbeing. Planned facilities include a primary school for 300 pupils, a nursery accommodating 60 children, a cultural center, a library, music and craft workshops, STEM classrooms, and a multi-purpose sports hall—providing a holistic environment for education, culture, and recreation.

Construction is already underway on 16 buildings within sectors 11 and 12, which will deliver 276 homes and 244 commercial units in the initial phase, marking a significant step towards rebuilding lives and restoring normalcy for those affected.

By Khagan Isayev