Teachers in quake-hit Van start their post

VAN - Hürriyet Daily News

The Turkish Housing Development Administration’s (TOKİ) has recently completed new housings in Van, which will be distributed to the victims of the earthquake. AA photo

The young teachers newly appointed to positions in the eastern province of Van, which was devastated by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake last year, are happy because to able to start their jobs after a long waiting period, but they are also concerned about the scarcity of available houses in the area.

“I have been waiting to be appointed for two years. In the draw, Van was the duty assignment selected for me. I am aware that students here need education, but there is the problem of finding a place to stay. I have not been able to find a place to rent, and the Teachers Lodging building collapsed in the earthquake,” said 23-year-old English teacher Tuğba T. from İzmir, who wished to remain anonymous because she is a public employee.

Tuğba T. is required to fulfill three years of compulsory service in Van. “I am alone. This is my first time in the eastern provinces. I have some concerns about safety,” she said.

“Because there are no houses available for rent, the authorities have suggested that we live in container homes in the container cities. I would have to share a container with another teacher. I don’t know what will happen,” Tuğba T. said.

28-year old mathematics teacher Melek Y. says she waited four years before being appointed to Van. “It will take us a full year before we settle into houses. We will be temporarily accommodated in container cities. Because of the scarcity of housing, we will share our containers with other teachers. I believe our living conditions will be tough,” she said.

Thirty-five-year-old Banu A., a literature teacher, said she did not have a problem finding accommodation because her husband is a police officer. “We have a place to stay in police housing. Many of my fellow teachers are having problems finding accommodations. No one is complaining about having been appointed to the east, but this accommodation issue calls for an immediate solution.”

There is no major accommodation issue, Van Governor Münir Karaloğlu told Hürriyet Daily News.