Ankara: Trkiye delivered the 455,000th disaster housing unit to earthquake survivors across 11 provinces hit by the Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, calling the effort a 'major achievement' few countries could accomplish. Speaking at a key handover ceremony in the southern province of Hatay, Erdogan said the government had surpassed its year-end target as part of 'the largest reconstruction mobilization of the century.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Erdogan announced that another 105,179 homes, village houses, and workplaces will be delivered to earthquake survivors, including 55,681 in Hatay, 22,081 in Kahramanmaras, 11,367 in Malatya, 4,833 in Adiyaman, and smaller numbers across Osmaniye, Elazig, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Kilis, Kayseri, Tunceli, and Bingol. Addressing the crowd after a video presentation, Erdogan expressed his hope that the new homes would open 'a brand-new chapter' for earthquake survivors, wishing families well in their new lives.

Erdogan highlighted that the government had exceeded its year-end target, delivering 455,357 homes and workplaces. He recalled that the Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes claimed more than 53,000 lives and affected 14 million people across 11 provinces, with economic losses surpassing $150 billion. However, he emphasized that the government never succumbed to despair.

The Turkish president noted that 200,000 architects, engineers, and workers are currently employed at 3,481 construction sites across 174 locations in the affected provinces. He mentioned that 250,000 homes had been handed over in Adiyaman just 40 days earlier, and with the latest deliveries, the number of housing units and workplaces handed over in Hatay alone has reached 153,755.

Erdogan stated that the reconstruction efforts went beyond mere housing, as the city's infrastructure was completely renewed, and employment-generating projects were launched, including in the defense industry. He also highlighted major infrastructure and restoration projects ongoing in Hatay, such as Trkiye's largest wastewater tunnel and foundation, along with irrigation and environmental works aimed at eliminating pollution in the Asi River.

Emphasizing unity, Erdogan called for collective efforts to move towards a brighter future, not just within Trkiye but also extending support to neighboring regions like Syria, Palestine, and Iraq. He expressed a vision for a 'terror-free Trkiye' and a terror-free region, asserting that no one can prevent the building of a 'new and great Trkiye.' He reiterated the unity of diverse ethnic and sectarian groups within the country, hoping for continued peace and harmony among Turks, Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Sunnis, and Alawites.

Meanwhile, Turkish Communications Director Burhanettin Duran commended the government's crisis-management capacity and exemplary reconstruction process in a post on his NSosyal account. He highlighted that the handover of the 455,000th disaster home underscored the unity, solidarity, and strong bond of trust between the state and the nation.