JAKARTA - Turkey has deployed every means to alleviate the suffering of its citizens due to the devastating earthquake. One of them is by paying for the cost of renting the houses of the affected residents.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a series of steps to alleviate the financial problems of the victims. Starting from one-year rental payments for people who have lost their homes, free flights for those leaving the province.
Erdogan said this when he visited the province of Ad wayyaman in eastern Turkey, Friday, February 10. This is the seventh stop from traveling to 10 provinces hit by the earthquake in the country.
Erdogan expressed his condolences to the families of the earthquake victims in Ad wayyaman.
"We are facing one of the biggest disasters in our history," he said, calling the disaster victims a "martyr", as reported by the Daily Sabah.
Erdogan said Turkey had mobilized all resources for search and rescue and humanitarian assistance immediately after the earthquake. But he also acknowledged the problem due to the impact of the earthquake covering an area of 500 square kilometers."
"An unusually harsh cold season over the years emerged as another challenge," he said.
"But regardless of all of this, we are directing all efforts into the earthquake zone, together with our nation. All public resources in all provinces are deployed for earthquake-hit areas. We declare the area a disaster zone and declare a state of emergency," he explained.
Erdogan also regretted the looting of several supermarkets after the disaster. He opened up the possibility of an emergency to allow the country to intervene in such acts more efficiently.
"We have shortcomings but our country has come to help our citizens by all means they have," he said.
The President said a search and rescue team from abroad arrived. And many more will come. There are 94 countries that also offer and send aid.
However, the fact is that the response to disasters is still not at the desired speed. The ministry, city government, public institutions, non-governmental organizations, and our friends from all over the world are mobilizing all efforts to help earthquake victims," he added.
"If our residents don't want to stay in the tent until their new house is built, we will pay their rent for one year, either here in Ad wayyaman or in another city where they will choose to live," he said.
He said they also arranged accommodation for survivors at hotels, referring to the evacuation of victims to Antalya and other cities, where the weather is warmer and the hotel's capacity is higher.
Turkish Airlines also offers free flights for those wishing to leave 10 provinces and those arriving in the province from other Turkish cities.
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