Erdogan puts priority on reconstruction, Demirtas stresses need for shelter

Erdogan puts priority on reconstruction, Demirtas stresses need for shelter
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While Turkish president Erdogan has prioritized immense construction projects, imprisoned Kurdish politician Demirtas has reiterated the need for urgent shelter and hygiene for homeless quake victims.

Turkish president announced a plan on Tuesday to construct 200,000 new residences for quake victims and said, "We're launching the process for building 1,797 residences tomorrow."

Imprisoned Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas, in contrast, said the efforts should be focused on "urgently providing container homes, food, cleaning items and a sufficient amount of toilets and showers."

President Erdogan, who has started prioritizing construction projects in the immediate aftermath of the twin earthquakes that left millions in urgent need of temporary shelter, said in his address at the offices of Turkey's disaster agency in the province of Maras:

"We've recently signed the contracts for the construction of several residences, the initial batch in a total of 200,000 that is planned to be constructed in city centers, after the required ground surveys and geological inspections have been concluded."

He added:

"The process for the construction of 1,797 residences will be launched tomorrow."

Demirtas, on the other hand, stressed the urgency of providing shelter for the victims, prioritizing delivery of container homes and portable toilets to disaster areas.

Around the same time Erdogan spoke in Maras, Demirtas said on Twitter:

"We could propose a thousand solutions, but we should focus on two issues right now. First and urgently, container homes, food, cleaning items, and a sufficient amount of toilets and showers for all quake victims. Second, getting rid of these gangs through elections as soon as possible."