Türkiye Marks Anniversary of Devastating 2023 Earthquakes, President Erdogan Pledges Reconstruction
Adiyaman, The Gulf Observer: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revealed that the twin earthquakes of February 2023, described as the “disaster of the century,” inflicted a direct financial loss of $104 billion on Türkiye, with indirect losses reaching $150 billion.
Speaking on Thursday at the February 6 Earthquakes Commemoration Program in the southeastern province of Adiyaman, President Erdogan emphasized the government’s commitment to rebuilding and revitalizing the affected regions.
“By the end of the year, we will build a total of 453,000 housing units, ensuring that not a single citizen remains without a home or a workplace,” he announced.
Massive Reconstruction Effort Underway
Erdogan highlighted the unprecedented scale of Türkiye’s reconstruction efforts, noting that within just two years, the country has undertaken a massive rebuilding operation that would be difficult for most nations to manage.
The catastrophic earthquakes, measuring 7.7 and 7.6 in magnitude, struck 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa. The disaster resulted in at least 53,537 deaths, over 107,000 injuries, and impacted the lives of more than 14 million people.
As Türkiye commemorates the tragedy, the government remains focused on swift recovery efforts, ensuring that those affected can rebuild their lives with new housing, workplaces, and infrastructure development.
