President Erdoğan calls on quake-survivors to not give into pessimism

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on millions of earthquake survivors to not give into pessimism as the government and the people of Türkiye continue to stand with them by providing assistance and new permanent shelters.

“My earthquake survivor brothers… Our minds and hearts are always with you. We never forget about you and continue to work to heal your wounds,” Erdoğan said on Twitter on April 30. He recalled that more than 50,000 people were killed in the devastating earthquakes in early February which he called “the disaster of the century.”

“But we would live the real disaster if we had forgotten about you,” he stated, explaining the government’s intensified efforts to ease the conditions of the survivors in 11 provinces of the country.

More than 3.5 million people are being sheltered in temporary centers, guest houses and dormitories, Erdoğan said, informing that 806,000 tents and 85,500 containers are hosting the survivors in 350 different spots in the quake-hit region.

More than 30 billion Turkish Liras was allocated to the earthquake survivors who have lost their relatives in the disaster while 2.4 million people received psychosocial support, the president stressed.

“The construction process of 125,000 homes has already started. The foundations of 58,630 homes have been laid. Most recently we laid the foundation of earthquake-resistant homes with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev,” he said.

In one year, 319,000 new houses will be given to their owners in the earthquake region, Erdoğan stated.

Calling the oppositional leaders who visit the earthquake region as “earthquake tourists,” the president called on the survivors not to give into pessimism after listening to the oppositional parties. “Trust us and pray for us. With the God’s help, we will very soon overcome these difficult days and reach a bright future,” he said.

In the meantime, Erdoğan, who suffered from a minor illness, has resumed his political campaigning over the weekend. He rallied in the Aegean town of İzmir and Ankara on Saturday and Sunday respectively.