Turkish President and Justice and Development (AK) Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening Türkiye’s earthquake resilience during a speech at the AK Party’s parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday.

Highlighting ongoing urban transformation efforts, President Erdoğan emphasized that Türkiye is working "selflessly" to ensure that all 81 provinces, particularly Istanbul, are made secure and resilient against earthquakes.

“In the past 23 years, we have built 1.547 million houses through TOKİ [Housing Development Administration of Türkiye]. In total, 3.7 million transformation houses and social housing units have been constructed, providing 15 million citizens with new homes,” Erdoğan stated.

Referencing the recent 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Istanbul, Erdoğan shared updated figures on the government’s reconstruction and transformation initiatives. He noted that the transformation of nearly 1 million additional houses is currently underway.

“Our aim is clear: to safeguard our cities, protect our citizens, and prepare our country against natural disasters through sustainable urban development,” Erdoğan said.

The President’s remarks come as Türkiye continues to prioritize earthquake preparedness, particularly in densely populated urban centers like Istanbul, which sits atop major seismic fault lines. (ILKHA)