Stating that great sufferings (earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş) and great victories unite nations, Minister Soylu underlined that our nation showed a great unity in the face of this great pain. 

After the coordination meeting at Hatay AFAD Provincial Coordination Center, Minister Soylu stated that they evaluated the current situation.

Reminding that after the completion of the damage assessment of the buildings and the joint work with the Office of the Chief Prosecutor on marking the debris and the buildings determined to be demolished and notifying the house owners, Soylu said that the debris removal works started in Hatay as well.

Reminding that another earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale occurred in Hatay, Minister Soylu said that repeating the damage assessment became a necessity.

New Process Related to Tradesmen

Stating that there was serious damage in the buildings belonging to the small tradesmen in the earthquake region, Soylu said they have evaluated this issue with the tradesmen associations and the Minister of Trade and taken a step to start their business life through providing a workplace for small business owners. Soylu underlined that their aim is to revive the cities. Stating that all processes such as the agricultural life of the village are followed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and other authorities, Soylu said that regarding the stray animals, the municipalities, the Turkish Veterinary Surgeon Union and the General Directorate for National Parks follow the process make efforts to resolve the problems encountered.

Expressing that 426 municipalities, 127 of them in Hatay alone, were assigned in the earthquake region, Minister Soylu noted that they are working with each of them.

Stating that 41 governors also served in the earthquake region, Minister Soylu stated that everyone embraced their duties in coordination. Soylu stated that 15 of the governors served in Hatay, 11 in Kahramanmaraş, 5 in Adıyaman, 4 in Malatya, Gaziantep, Osmaniye and other points, and that each district governor was appointed by the ministries. He stated that the directors and department heads were performing their duties.

Mobilization Continues in Every Point of Our Country

Stating that only 233 non-governmental organizations work in Hatay, Soylu said that 23 of them are international non-governmental organizations.

Emphasizing that great sufferings and great victories unite nations, Minister Soylu stated that the nation has achieved great unity in the face of this great pain and the mobilization continues in every part of the country.

Minister Soylu said that efforts are being made to meet the clothes, shoes and other needs of citizens in container and tent cities.

Reminding that thousands of aid trucks came to the earthquake area, Minister Soylu said that more than 4 thousand mobile toilets were sent to Kahramanmaraş and they should double the number of toilets in Hatay. Saying that the shipment of shower and washing machines to the regions continues, Soylu emphasized that underwear stands out as the most basic need.

Stating that work has also been carried out on temporary workplaces, Soylu said that some sample bazaars have also been put into service. Emphasizing that workplace preparations are being made by talking to the tradesmen organizations, Soylu announced that 5 thousand 400 temporary workplaces have already been planned and donated. Soylu said that as a result of the work done with the Ministry of Commerce, the construction of 262 workplaces was completed and 2 thousand temporary workplaces are planned in Hatay.

Earthquake Victims Public Employees

Thanking the volunteers, NGOs and earthquake survivor public employees working in the region, Soylu stated that televisions were installed in the containers so that the earthquake survivors can continue education.

Stating that psychosocial support activities continue in the region, Soylu said that 1 million 220 thousand people, 169 thousand of whom are in Hatay, have been provided with psychosocial support  through universities, other units and volunteers under the coordination of the Ministry of Family and Social Services. Noting that 10 thousand lira was paid to 1 million 61 thousand 271 people, 194 thousand 820 in Hatay, Soylu announced that they have started to provide relocation aid to 259 thousand 459 people, 79 thousand 491 in Hatay.

The Number of Citizens Who Lost Their Lives in the Earthquake

Minister Soylu said that 45 thousand 968 citizens, 4 thousand 267 of whom were Syrians, lost their lives both in the debris and in the hospitals. Saying that Syrians were registered by the Population registry office and Immigration authority, Soylu stated that they are transparently sharing all the documents regarding the burial and identification procedures as well as the prosecutor's office reports with the Gendarmerie, district governorship, the local authorities and the nation.

A Total of 13 Thousand 722 Aftershocks Occurred

Minister Soylu noted that a total of 13 thousand 722 aftershocks have occurred so far.

Noting that search and rescue efforts were carried out in 26 thousand 32 debris out of 28 thousand 300, Minister Soylu reported that 25 percent of the buildings in Hatay were demolished and decided to be demolished urgently and 75 percent were heavily damaged. Saying that 15% of the buildings planned to be demolished and that the debris removal works continue, Soylu noted vehicles and equipment from both the private sector and public sector were used in works Mentioning that the tenants and property owners were invited to the region during the demolition process, taking into account their valuable items, Soylu emphasized that the process was carefully carried out.

Stating that 332 tent city areas, 80 in Hatay, were created in the earthquake zone, Soylu stressed that 370 thousand 482 tents were set up by the Ministry. Sharing that there are over 400 thousand tents, 101 thousand 168 in Hatay, were set up on the site, Soylu said that a total of 1.5 million disaster victims, 405 thousand of whom are in Hatay, are sheltered in tents.

Container City

Stating that 209 container areas, 62 of them in Hatay, were established in 10 quake-hit provinces, Soylu noted that a total of 21 thousand 895 containers are planned to be installed in Hatay. Sharing that the latest containers have arrived from Qatar and a total of 3 thousand containers have been installed in Hatay. He stated that the relatives of the families who lost their lives in the disaster are the first beneficiary of the house. The second, third, fourth and fifth priorities regarding ownership are given to people with relatives of martyrs, to people with disabilities, to, those who are bedridden or seriously ill and to individuals seeking socioeconomic support and receiving help from the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation, respectively. Stating that citizens with moderate damage can also benefit from this support if there is available space, Soylu generally listed their order of priority as the house owners, the houses with serious damage, the houses determined to be demolished, the houses with moderate damage, and the tenants.

Stating that 860 thousand 375 people were evacuated from the entire earthquake zone, Minister Soylu noted that 1 million 281 thousand 599 people went to other provinces and made a notice. He reported that 2 million 141 thousand evacuees were detected.

Claims on Need for Water

Stating that the city water is used for daily needs in Hatay, Soylu reported that the potable water continues to be met with packaged water delivered to the region. Emphasizing that 1 million 200 thousand packaged/bottled water was delivered to Hatay today, Soylu responded that the claims on need for water in Hatay do not reflect the truth.

They embitter the disaster through lies

Underlining that this misinformation spread over social media prevents them from doing their job, Soylu said that the amount of water distributed to the region is sufficient to meet the needs of citizens.

Stating that it is normal to encounter deficiencies in certain regions regarding meeting the water demands, Soylu said that they are in constant communication with the District Governorships, Municipalities and the local authorities to be informed if the citizens have any shortcomings in this regard. Underlining that only 16 municipalities, together with the metropolitan and sub-provincial municipalities of Hatay, are making efforts to meet the water needs of the region, Soylu said that false allegations and claims embitter the disaster faced by the people in the region.

Fighting Against Disinformation 

Stating that misinformation is spreading on social media on many issues, such as the water issue, Soylu stated that they are faced with a lot of disinformation, and have shared 1 thousand 90 account managers identified by the Cybercrimes Department with the prosecution offices. Soylu noted that in line with the instructions received from the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, 151 people were detained and 29 people were arrested.

Pointing out that there are people claiming that there are kidnappings in the earthquake region, Minister Soylu underlined that no cases of organ mafia, kidnapping or detention have been reported in the Gendarmerie and the security zone. He said that all of these initiatives are processes that give misinformation and wrong messages to the society.

Noting that one of the most discussed issues after the earthquake was the situation of the contractors who are responsible for faulty construction, Minister Soylu said that the Ministry of Justice, the Police Department and the Gendarmerie is actively working and that these contractors were prevented from escaping abroad by the immediate international travel ban. Stating that 249 of the 791 suspects were arrested according to the official figures, Soylu emphasized that 251 people were released on bail, however the process will continue to be followed.

Stating that they aim to restore Antakya which is a great historical heritage, Soylu noted that 58 percent of Antakya, together with its villages, has been damaged and destroyed. Emphasizing that this rate has risen to over 70 percent in the center of Antakya, Soylu underlined that the restoration process is being managed by all the officials in the region under the presidency of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.