Erdogan vows to rebuild homes destroyed by devastating Turkey earthquakes before general election

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged on Monday to build 200,000 houses in the country's southwestern region, following the 6 February earthquakes which killed at least 42,000 people across Turkey and Syria and flattened thousands of homes. 

The natural disaster was followed by a series of aftershocks with millions fleeing their homes, even if they were still standing, fearing further destructive earthquakes. 

Erdogan said the earthquakes had destroyed, severely damaged, or required the immediate demolition of around 118,000 buildings, many of which were in the worst-affected provinces of Hatay, Kahramanmaras, and Malatya.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces to build nearly 200,000 homes across #TurkiyeQuakes affected zones pic.twitter.com/Kuk4caHerC

— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) February 21, 2023

Erdogan's government has been criticised for allowing the development of poorly-constructed buildings across the country earlier in his decade-long rule, which observers said worsened the death toll from the earthquake. 

This time around, he vowed the structures would be built on sturdy ground "using the right construction methods". 

"None of these buildings will be more than three or four storeys high," he added after the earthquake caused the collapse of several high-rise structures.

Erdogan promised the construction would begin in March, in a bid to show the Turkish people that his government was willing to do whatever it takes to facilitate a rebuild of the country as soon as possible. This would also coincide with general elections, which commence in May, when experts believe Erdogan will face his sternest test yet at the ballot box.

"We will start to move our citizens living in tents and container cities to their sturdy, safe, and comfortable homes within a year," he said, vowing to build "a new Antakya, Iskenderun, Arsuz", referring to cities heavily damaged by the quake.