Turkey points earthquake rebuilding guidelines after hundreds of thousands left homeless By Reuters

By Timour Azhari and Ezgi Erkoyun

ANTAKYA/ISTANBUL, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkey issued rebuilding rules on Friday for a area devastated by earthquakes this month to allow firms or charities to assist in the pressing job of constructing new houses for the hundreds of thousands who want rehousing after the devastating tremors.

Greater than 160,000 buildings, containing 520,000 residences, collapsed or had been severely broken in Turkey within the earthquakes.

The Turkish demise toll from the tremors now stands at greater than 43,500 individuals, whereas the toll in neighbouring Syria, a nation already shattered by warfare, is shut to six,000.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to rebuild houses inside a 12 months, though consultants have mentioned the authorities ought to put security earlier than velocity. Some buildings that had been meant to face up to tremors crumbled within the newest earthquakes.

Many survivors have left the area of southern Turkey that was hit or have been settled in tents, container houses and different government-sponsored lodging.

Underneath the brand new rules, people, establishments and organisations will have the ability to construct residences and workplaces that they will donate to the urbanisation ministry and people properties will then be handed to these in want, in keeping with a presidential decree revealed within the Official Gazette.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag advised CNNTurk that 171 individuals had been arrested and 77 extra confronted detention as a part of an investigation into collapsed buildings within the earthquake space, associated to violations of constructing codes.

“Everybody concerned can be held accountable in entrance of courts. Everybody can be punished in keeping with their duty,” Bozdag mentioned.

He mentioned authorized modifications could possibly be wanted for crimes concerning development permits and mentioned the authorities ought to focus on more durable punishments and deterrents for violating zoning guidelines, which dictate the place and the way buildings will be extra safely constructed.

In Antakya, Saeed Sleiman Ertoglu, 56, loaded up what remained of his inventory from his waterpipe store that was not broken within the two large earthquakes on Feb. 6 adopted by one other sturdy quake two weeks later.

“The glassware was very lovely, greater than standard, however then we had this (earthquake), and all of it bought ruined,” he mentioned, after his house and store survived the primary tremors however not the later one. He estimated that 5% of his merchandise survived.

“What can we do? That is an act of God, and God’s will at all times bears items,” he mentioned.