Turkey has begun initial work to rebuild homes following this month's devastating earthquakes, a government official said on Friday, as a U.N. Development Program (UNDP) estimated 1.5 million people have been left homeless.
Ednews.net reports citing Reuters that facing an election within months, President Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to rebuild homes within a year, although experts have said the authorities should put safety before speed. Some buildings that were meant to withstand tremors crumbled in the latest earthquakes.
"For several projects, tenders and contracts have been done. The process is moving very fast," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, adding there would be no compromise on safety.
The initial plan is to build 200,000 apartments and 70,000 village houses at a cost of at least $15 billion, he said. U.S. bank JPMorgan had estimated rebuilding houses and infrastructure will cost $25 billion.