Erdoğan vows to prepare Istanbul for earthquakes

ISTANBUL

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is determined to strengthen the building stock of Istanbul before a major earthquake hits Türkiye’s largest city, President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, vowing to resolve Istanbul’s traffic problem if their candidate, Murat Kurum wins the mayoral polls on March 31.

“With the new projects we will implement in terms of environment and urbanization, urban transformation in particular, we will not only make Istanbul resistant to earthquakes, but make it more beautiful. We will renew the building stock of Istanbul before the earthquake for which scientists advise us to prepare without wasting anytime,” Erdoğan said in an address on the inauguration of a new generation transportation system between the Sirkeci and Kazlıçeşme districts of Istanbul on February 26.

The AKP’s Istanbul mayoral candidate, Murat Kurum and Transportation Minister Adil Uraloğlu also took part in the ceremony along with other senior officials. Erdoğan recalled that they have already outlined a road map for the transformation of Istanbul which pledges an earthquake-resistant city.

Istanbul sits on one of the major fault lines with constant warnings from geologists and scientists that the city should be prepared for a strong earthquake.

“We perfectly know that Istanbul will not tolerate negligence. Istanbul is a city for which you have to dedicate yourself. Istanbul is not a city for a part-time job,” Erdoğan said, obviously criticizing the current Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu who has been running the city since 2019.

With the election of Kurum as the mayor, Istanbul will get what it deserves in terms of municipal services, Erdoğan said, underlining that Türkiye’s largest city’s traffic problems have enormously grown in the past five years.

“There are very big problems regarding mass transportation. They have no concern for resolving this problem. The traffic density, which was 47 percent in 2019, has increased to 64 percent,” the president stressed.

Erdoğan vowed that the government will build more rail systems across the city for resolving the traffic problem of Istanbul.

HH Leaders celebrate Erdoğan’s birthday

In the meantime, the leaders of some prominent countries have congratulated President Erdoğan’s 70th birthday. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called Erdoğan to congratulate his birthday, the Communication Directorate said on February 26.

“During the telephone conversation, Putin conveyed his gratitude to President Erdoğan for his constructive support in fostering amicable relations between Russia and Türkiye,” read the statement.