Over 250,000 residences to be built in quake-hit Hatay: Minister

HATAY

In an effort to rebuild the provinces heavily impacted by the recent earthquakes, Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Minister Mehmet Özhaseki has announced plans to construct over 250,000 residences in Hatay.

"It is our duty to raise our 11 cities affected by the earthquakes as soon as possible. Our housing and village houses are rising rapidly in Hatay, the city of civilizations," the minister tweeted.

A detailed breakdown of the housing plan revealed that a total of 254,195 houses would be built, comprising 220,066 disaster houses and 34,129 village houses.

Özhaseki elaborated on the progress, sharing, "We have already awarded the tender for 32,715 disaster houses. Construction is underway for 30,088 houses and 48 shops."

The minister further assured the affected residents, saying, "As we promised to our brothers and sisters in the disaster, we will deliver their houses as soon as possible. We will restore Hatay to its old days."

Regarding the village housing development, Özhaseki emphasized adherence to local architecture, stating, "The construction of village houses in Hatay continues in accordance with the local architecture."

In total, 34,129 village houses will be constructed, including social reinforcement areas. The tender process for these houses has been completed in 244 villages across the province, with construction having already commenced on 6,847 village houses and 947 barns.

"Our aim is to provide strong and safe village houses for Hatay and its citizens as quickly as possible," Özhaseki assured.

Earlier, Özhaseki announced that nearly 457,000 permanent houses would be built in the 11 cities affected by the Feb. 6 earthquakes, with approximately 300,000 expected to be completed within a year. The minister specifically highlighted Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Malatya and Adıyaman as the provinces with the highest number of housing constructions, given the severity of the tremors.