Turkey’s president has called for stricter building regulations. He said this after the devastating earthquake that struck the country recently. 

The reconstruction of buildings in Turkey will start next month and be completed within a year. This was announced by the president of the country, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to him, the government plans to start building 30,000 houses in March.

“Our goal is to complete the construction of quality and safe buildings in a year to meet the housing needs of the entire earthquake-prone zone,” Erdoğan said.

The Feb. 6 earthquake in Turkey affected 10 provinces, home to about 13.5 million people (15 percent of the country’s population). Erdoğan said that 47,000 buildings with 211,000 residences require demolition. He said 98 percent of all destroyed buildings were built before 1999, when a major earthquake struck Turkey’s Marmara region.

“We will rebuild all houses and workplaces destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the earthquake and hand them over to their rightful owners,” the president added.

Aid for victims in Turkey and Syria: important information is here

Turkey’s president said that “the collapsed buildings have reminded the government of the need for stricter building regulations.” As we speak, the country is continuing to detain contractors suspected of being involved in the earthquake-damaged buildings: dozens of construction workers have already been arrested, and dozens more have been issued warrants.

In addition, the Turkish Ministry of Justice is setting up a bureau to investigate earthquake-related crimes right now. It will identify contractors and other people responsible for construction work and will collect evidence, check building permits, and issue permits to engage in construction activities. The bureau will include architects, geologists, and engineers.