Speaking to the Financial Times, scientists responded to Erdogan’s ‘1 year’ promise
The material damage caused by the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş that suffocated Turkey are closely followed by world public opinion.
Britain’s Financial Times newspaper signed a notable article about rebuilding buildings destroyed in last week’s earthquakes.
In the news, which included expert opinions, it was claimed that rebuilding tens of thousands of destroyed buildings in a large area would require tens of billions of dollars, according to initial estimates, and this would be a huge “reconstruction fight.” The newspaper noted that according to local officials and urban planners, this process will be the largest reconstruction effort in the history of the Republic of Turkey.
‘MAKING BUILDINGS SAFER IS ALSO AN OPTION’
Speaking to the Financial Times, experts commented that the words of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: “We will rebuild and hand over the destroyed buildings within a year, are unrealistic.” Professor Sara Shneiderman of the University of British Columbia said Erdogan’s promise to rebuild in 12 months is “Fantastic… Rebuilding is something that will take years.”
Tiziana Rossetto, a professor of earthquake engineering at University College London, noted that the cost of construction would be enormous, describing Erdogan’s statement as “totally unrealistic,” saying: “On the one hand, there is rebuilding the buildings as they have in the past, on the other hand, making buildings safer is also an option,” he said.
Historic areas of Antakya were also badly damaged. (Ayla Jean Yackley/FT)
The report also recalled that Erdogan, who is probably facing the most difficult electoral process, was criticized for late delivery of aid to earthquake zones and amnesty for zoning.
‘MONEY IS WRONG WITH QUICK CONSTRUCTION’
Speaking to the Financial Times, Eyüp Muhçu, president of the Turkish Chamber of Architects, stressed that half of the 3.4 million buildings affected by the earthquake may need to be demolished, saying: “To rebuild these buildings, it is necessary to build infrastructure and public facilities. That is, we are talking about an estimated cost of 100 billion dollars for reconstruction, ”he said.
US investment bank JPMorgan stated that the direct cost of damage to buildings could exceed $25 billion, representing 2.5 percent of Turkey’s GDP.
Professor Sara Shneiderman pointed out that the rapid process of rebuilding the state will not bring people back to the region, saying: “Houses are built with a top-down construction process, but not how people want. So you will have spent a lot of money the wrong way,” she said.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Urban Planners, Gencay Serter, pointed out that some urban areas were not properly connected to big cities after the 1999 earthquake, saying: “As a result of hasty decisions, areas that are not connected to cities have sprung up and this has led to social problems.