Türkiye to soon begin reconstruction of quake-torn houses

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye would immediately start reconstructing 30,000 homes in 10 cities destroyed by the two catastrophic earthquakes that took place on February 6.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting held at the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) headquarters in the capital Ankara, the president said the reconstruction would start as soon as the search and rescue efforts are completed and the rubble is cleared, Daily Sabah writes.

"Türkiye will continue search and rescue efforts until the last survivor is pulled from collapsed buildings," he said.

Hailing the Housing Development Administration of Türkiye (TOKI) for the construction of homes that could withstand the earthquakes, he said the state-run agency would construct the homes as part of a one-year plan.

Meanwhile, the president also said 3,107 aftershocks occurred since two major earthquakes hit Türkiye's southeast on February 6. He noted that the death toll hit 35,418 people. Over 105,500 people were rescued from the rubble following the earthquakes, while 13,208 people injured in the disaster still receive treatment at the hospital. The president noted that there are 28,000 Turkish soldiers on duty and 250,000 public personnel searching and rescue efforts in the earthquake zone.

More than 175,000 tents and 5,400 containers have been set up in earthquake zones to temporarily resettle earthquake survivors whose homes were destroyed in the disaster.

The president also called for unity and solidarity and said a joint aid campaign would take place in Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Wednesday. In addition, almost all major national broadcasters will hold an aid campaign to raise funds for earthquake survivors.