Making a statement after the Cabinet Meeting, regarding the ongoing relief efforts in the earthquake zone, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that just as they erased the destruction’s traces and delivered new residences to their owners in a short span of time following past disasters, they will follow the same path during this period. The President said that they will provide both material and emotional support for each and every citizen, and will make sure that aid and housing efforts continue in an orderly manner.

President Erdoğan held a press conference following the Cabinet meeting at the AFAD headquarters in Ankara.

Pointing out that the earthquake measuring 7.7on the Richter scale centered in Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş and the earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale centered in Elbistan President Erdogan said the number of aftershocks reached 3 thousand 170 and caused heavy destruction in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Malatya, Osmaniye, Kilis, Adana, Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır, where approximately 13.5 million citizens live.

Pointing out that the earthquake, which caused a 3-meter slide towards the south in Türkiye, President Erdoğan wished Allah’s mercy upon 35 thousand 418 citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake and sent condolences to their relatives. He also wished a speedy recovery to 105 thousand 505 injured people who survived the rubble or were rescued by search and rescue teams.

We Mobilized as a State and Nation to Reach Our Cities Hit by the Earthquake

Stating that 1 million 850 thousand houses and workplaces in approximately 369 thousand buildings in the earthquake zone have been examined by the teams of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Erdoğan said that according to the first determinations, 211 thousand houses in 47 thousand buildings in the earthquake zone were destroyed and severely damaged.

Underlining that the state is mobilized with all its resources to reach the earthquake area as soon as possible, President Erdoğan stated that the Turkish nation also took action voluntarily to help the earthquake victims, and that the public officials and citizens who survived the earthquake participated in the work.

The Number of Professional Staff Directly Participating in Search and Rescue Works Exceeded 35 Thousand

Emphasizing that the settlements affected by the earthquake were reached through coordination between the AFAD center and the provinces, Erdoğan said that approximately 250 thousand public officials have been assigned to the earthquake zone, and more than 35 thousand non-governmental organizations and international aid teams participated in the search and rescue efforts. The number of construction equipment reached 12 thousand 235, the number of aircraft 76, the number of helicopters 121, the number of ships 26, and the number of UAVs reached 45. 

Noting that 320 mobile soup kitchens belonging to various institutions offer hot meals in the region every day. President Erdoğan said that The Turkish Red Crescent alone has served 20 million hot meals, 22 million loaves of bread, and 15.5 million bottles of water.

Stating that 100 countries have responded to Türkiye’s international emergency call following the earthquake, the President noted that 84 of them have actively participated in the operations with 10 thousand 943 search and rescue personnel. Teams from four countries have returned home after completing their work. Five countries have notified our foreign missions that they would dispatch teams.

Underlining that this figure corresponds to a very significant portion of the overall search and rescue capacity in the world. President Erdoğan expressed that he has spoken over the phone with heads of state and government of 43 countries who have called to offer support and condolences.

President Erdoğan stated that Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim as well as ministers from various countries have come to our country to offer their condolences in person.

Aid to Türkiye

President Erdoğan pointed out that aid has been sent to Türkiye with 444 flights from 61 countries. Erdoğan said that their friends and brothers all across the world, from Africa to the Turkic Republics, the Gulf region to Europe, Asia to America, have mobilized for Türkiye. He went on to say: “On behalf of myself and my nation, I extend my gratitude to each and every one of our friends who stand by us in these difficult times with their relief teams and aid as well as their commitments, emotional support, and prayers.”

TOKİ is an Institution That Came through This Earthquake

Emphasizing that TOKİ is an institution that came out of this earthquake with the quality and safety of the 1 million 180 thousand buildings it built throughout the country, Erdoğan emphasized that the fact that 98 percent of the buildings built before 1999 destroyed in the last disaster shows the progress they have made in terms of building standards. Announcing that the preparations for the new houses and cities have been started by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and TOKİ, Erdoğan announced that they will start the construction of 30 thousand houses as of the beginning of March and that the construction of all the houses away from the fault lines will be started gradually within a few months.

Stating that their goal is to complete the construction of high-quality and safe buildings within a year President Erdoğan noted that they are planning to meet the temporary housing needs of earthquake victims by using all state’s resources including tents, containers, prefabricated structures, dormitories, hotel rooms, public guesthouses assigned for this purpose, and rented houses in other provinces.

We will ease the Pain Caused by this Disaster

President Erdoğan pointed out that they will fully compensate for the destruction caused by the earthquake, with the houses they will either reconstruct in their current locations or change their location, just as they erased the destruction’s traces and delivered new residences to their owners in a short span of time following past disasters such as the Van, Elazığ, Malatya, İzmir and Bingöl earthquakes, the Kastamonu, Bartın, Sinop and Giresun floods, and the Antalya and Muğla fires.

He said that they will provide both material and emotional support for each and every one of the citizens, and will make sure that aid and housing efforts continue in an orderly manner.

President Erdoğan wanted citizens in the earthquake zone to cling to every aspect of their lives including their provinces, districts, neighborhoods, homes and businesses. He said that they will alleviate the sufferings, heal the wounds, and compensate for the losses resulting from this disaster without giving into fatigue and desperation.

Stating that he went to Istanbul Başakşehir Çam and Sakura Hospital, Erdoğan noted that the necessary treatment of the injured was carried out by the Ministry of Health.

Repeating that they will offer 15 thousand Turkish lira for moving expenses and 2 thousand to 5 thousand rent aid for every house that has become uninhabitable, the President said that they will provide 10 thousand Turkish Lira support for every household in the initial phase. Stating that they also cover the fuel expenses of those who transfer their families to the provinces outside the earthquake zone by their own vehicles. President said that they provide 100 thousand Turkish lira in-cash aid to the relatives of citizens who have lost their lives in the earthquake for their urgent needs. He noted that they will provide additional support to citizens in accordance with the needs that might arise in the upcoming days. President Erdoğan underlined that they will leave no victim behind.

Announcing that the banking sector allocated 50 billion liras as a solidarity package to the earthquake under the leadership of our Ministry of Treasury and Finance, Erdoğan said that this amount will be used in the works to be done for earthquake victims. Erdoğan also stated that the credit guarantee funds have been prepared for businesses in the region.

Erduğan also underlined that as cabinet members and public officials attending the cabinet meeting, they decided to donate a total of 136 million 589 thousand liras to AFAD for earthquake victims. He announced that tomorrow evening at 20:00, an aid campaign will be organized in Türkiye, TRNC and Azerbaijan with the slogan ‘Türkiye United as One’.

Over 175 Thousand Tents Have Been Set Up

Announcing that they have met the shelter needs of a total of 1.6 million earthquake victims, President Erdoğan said that  they will put 10 thousand containers, which have started to depart from Qatar, to the service of those in need with the reinforcements we will make from within the country and abroad. 

Expressing that a total of 25 million clothes, food, cleaning products and other materials have been delivered to the region, the President said that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has ensured that a certain part of the capacity of all hotels throughout the country is allocated to earthquake victims. Reminding that the dormitories affiliated to the Credit and Dormitories Institution are also open to earthquake victims, Erdoğan announced that compulsory attendance will not be required from students in the earthquake zone in the second term and that education will start on February 20 in primary and secondary schools in 71 provinces.

Stating that, education will begin in these 10 provinces and our schools in Elazig as of March 1, Erdoğan said that since only 95 of the 20,868 school buildings in the earthquake area were destroyed and heavily damaged, they have established the capacity to meet the demands of all families who want to transfer their children to schools in other provinces.

Emphasizing that the Ministry of Interior, has shouldered the burden of the earthquake from the first moment with its police officers, The Gendarmerie, Coast Guard and Municipalities, Erdoğan said that a total of 138 thousand personnel of the Police Department and Gendarmerie and nearly 10 thousand volunteers operating under the coordination of AFAD provide service in the region.

Stating that 28 thousand Turkish soldiers, 1259 ambulances, 3 thousand 750 health workers and more than 3 thousand UMKE personnel continue to help the earthquake victims, Erdoğan stated that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has taken action to make the roads and Hatay Airport operational as soon as possible. Expressing that Turkish Airlines has transferred search and rescue teams to the region, Erdoğan said that the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has mobilized relevant organizations to provide electricity and natural gas to cities as soon as possible. Thanking all the miners from Zonguldak Turkish Coal Enterprises who came to help, Erdoğan said that 5 thousand 108 personnel from the Ministry of Family and Social Services, provides psychosocial support to the earthquake victims and takes care of orphans elderly people with disabilities.

Stating that the Ministry of Justice has appointed hundreds of prosecutors in the region to carry out necessary burial procedures and procedures related to the public order, Erdoğan said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry controls the dams in the region through DSI, and directed the search and rescue personnel and equipment of the Directorate General of Forestry to the region.

Ministry of Commerce Increases Inspections

Announcing that the applications to the Farmer Registration System (ÇKS) have been extended until May 8, President Erdoğan said that support payments for 2.2 million farmers in the region will be paid in advance . Emphasizing that while the Ministry of Commerce increases its inspections, it also supports tradesmen and craftsmen, Erdoğan said that the Ministry of Labor and Social Security has taken steps to assist employees in cities within the earthquake zone, which is one of the country's leading production regions, and to facilitate the services of the Social Security Institution. Erdogan said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took all kinds of measures to meet the demands of the citizens abroad and the teams coming to the country through diplomatic representatives.

President Erdoğan thanked all institutions, public officials, non-governmental organizations and volunteers for their efforts.

We Will Not Forgive Those Who Seek To Turn The Earthquake Disaster into Political Profit

Stressing that they will never forget those who tried to sabotage the rescue efforts and those who seek to turn the earthquake disaster into political rent. President Erdoğan said that now is the time to bind up the wounds, relieve the pain and reconnect millions of people to life.