Türkiye begins building resilient homes in quake-prone Balıkesir
BALIKESİR
Turkish authorities have laid the foundation stones for hundreds of earthquake-resistant homes in the western province of Balıkesir’s town of Sındırgı, which was hit by a magnitude 6.1 quake on Aug. 10.
Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum attended the foundation-laying ceremony, announcing that 531 housing units and public buildings will be built in both Sındırgı and the neighboring town of Bigadiç.
“Just as we delivered new homes quickly after the earthquakes in the provinces of Elazığ, Malatya and İzmir, and after the wildfires in cities of Antalya and Muğla, we will hand over these homes within a year,” Kurum said.
He stressed that urban renewal projects are a national security priority for Türkiye, where millions of buildings sit on active fault lines.
The Aug. 10 quake in Sındırgı damaged homes across Balıkesir, prompting a rapid government response.
According to the Housing Development Administration (TOKİ), the rebuilding plan includes 520 residential buildings, 11 commercial units, 23 barns and a mosque.
TOKİ President Mustafa Levent Sungur underlined that the new structures will be “resilient and earthquake-proof” and will provide “safe and warm homes” for affected families once completed.
Türkiye has faced multiple devastating disasters in recent years, including the Feb. 2023 earthquakes described as the “disaster of the century,” which shook the country’s 11 southern provinces.
Officials have pledged to accelerate reconstruction and urban transformation nationwide to reduce future risks.
Within this scope, a new large-scale social housing campaign is also set to be announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, including special allocations for low-income families, young people, women, veterans’ families, people with disabilities and households with three or more children.
