CHP leader calls on gov’t for incentives in quake-hit provinces

HATAY

The Nation Alliance’s presidential candidate and the chair of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, called on the government on March 14 to introduce new legislation to provide incentives aiming to boost economic activities in the earthquake-hit provinces of Türkiye.

“The disaster area needs complete special planning. Certain advantages should be provided to the people who will come here,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in the southern province of Hatay.

The government must introduce special laws for this region, and bring incentives so that companies and workers will be encouraged to invest, work and create employment in the region, Kılıçdaroğlu stated.

“Extraordinary decisions are made in extraordinary situations. You have to support the tradesmen and the farmers. When you encounter an incident, you must immediately plan what to do in the short, medium and long term,” he said.

The CHP leader warned about the major loss of human resources in the quake region, saying that many people such as engineers, architects, doctors, foremen, industrialists and qualified personnel working in factories have left the cities.

In order to encourage human capital to work in the earthquake-hit province, the government should end collecting tax and insurance premiums from those who want to work in the earthquake zone, Kılıçdaroğlu said.

The CHP leader elaborated on a report his party prepared on the quake-hit regions and said at least 750,000 buildings were collapsed or heavily destroyed after the quakes.

The construction materials, the furniture of new houses and other relevant housing equipment of the new buildings should be manufactured in this region, and the government should provide incentives to the companies for opening production facilities, Kılıçdaroğlu said.