One year after Turkey’s deadliest disaster in modern history, the country commemorated the devastating earthquake by handing over keys to newly completed homes. The powerful quakes on Feb. 6, 2023, claimed over 50,000 lives in 11 provinces and left millions homeless.

President Tayyip Erdogan, during a ceremony in the worst-hit province Hatay, symbolically presented keys to 7,275 houses. He emphasized plans to gradually deliver a total of 40,000 homes across the region as construction completes. Erdogan pledged to deliver 200,000 houses this year, with 75,000 set to be handed over in the next two months.

Urbanisation Minister Mehmet Ozhaseki revealed that around 680,000 homes were destroyed, and 390,000 families are registered to receive new houses. Tender processes for 200,000 apartments have been completed, with construction underway, and delivery for some is imminent. Erdogan’s post-earthquake promise included delivering 319,000 new homes by February 2024 and a total of 680,000 a year later.