Türkiye just experienced massive earthquakes in February. We must never forget this catastrophe – which has been described as the “disaster of the century.” We have all witnessed how devastating the earthquake was. May Allah protect our country from such disasters in the future. The Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) mobilized in the disaster’s immediate aftermath and, under the leadership of our esteemed minister, started operating in the quake zone. The Administration had constructed 168,344 residential units and social facilities across the 11 provinces, including Elazığ, designated as part of the disaster zone. Following the earthquake, we inspected all the buildings by checking for damage in their basements. None of our buildings collapsed and, in this sense, passed this test with flying colors. Of course, a few buildings suffered some damage. Still, residents told me the following as we inspected those buildings: “We experienced such a massive earthquake that we are grateful to you for saving our lives. We do not care about this much damage.” We wished them a speedy recovery and pledged to take all necessary steps regarding repairing the damaged buildings. Our Goal Is Risk Minimization TOKİ builds residential units by considering several points. Primarily, we attach great importance to site selection. It is important to choose where to launch housing projects consciously. If a building sits on soil that has limited load-bearing capacity, contains a lot of water, and may be prone to liquefaction, it is possible to conclude that mistakes were made during the site selection. At the end of the day, failure to choose the right location damages the superstructure and the infrastructure. Secondly, it is important to use the right techniques and implement plans correctly. We use a system called tunnel formwork. Our calculations do not assume that walls bear some of the load, even though all curtain walls are load-bearing in practice. [caption id="attachment_18010" align="aligncenter" width="2500"] Buildings built by TOKİ in the city of Nevşehir.[/caption] We believe that our buildings resisted significant damage in the latest earthquakes because we successfully ensured the resilience of the concrete used in their construction. All our designs treat concrete as a critical element. Following the necessary procedure to ensure that concrete reaches its maximum level of resistance is just as important as making the concrete itself. At the same time, we prioritize horizontal architecture and do our best to refrain from building anything that has more than five stories above the ground floor. Furthermore, we comply with all regulations to the letter and monitor all operations closely. We have a control and consulting system in place, where qualified and specialized staff oversee implementation. There is also an additional control system in place that consists of TOKİ’s own engineers, who monitor consultants and construction. As such, it is possible to conclude that we have taken all necessary precautions to minimize risks. TOKİ was established in 1984. By 2002, it had constructed 43,000 homes. Following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rise to power, the Turkish government launched a campaign to build residential units nationwide as part of an emergency action plan. Over the last two decades, TOKİ has delivered approximately 1.18 million residential units. Furthermore, we also built nearly 37,000 public facilities, including hospitals, schools, mosques, business centers, stadiums, and national parks. Over the last four years, the Administration launched three social housing campaigns. It offered 50,000 and an additional batch of 100,000 homes – which attracted very significant interest. Indeed, 1.2 million people applied to buy one of the 100,000 social housing units that we built in 2019. Last year, approximately 8 million citizens requested homes as part of the most comprehensive social housing campaign in the Republic’s history. As part of that campaign, we will initially offer 250,000 homes, plots for 1 million houses, and 10,000 offices across 81 provinces. We have already started the construction and tenders of approximately 44,000 residential units. Türkiye has experienced massive disasters over the last two decades. In addition to major earthquakes in Bingöl (2003) and Simav and Van (2011), cities like Ankara, Ağrı, Erzurum, Hakkari, Muş, and Tunceli were also affected by disasters. We also delivered homes to local communities in Elazığ and Malatya (2020) and Izmir (2021) within one year of those earthquakes. Altogether, we built 82,510 residential units, equipped with social facilities, for our citizens. We did not leave anyone out in the cold. I pray that our state and nation shall recover from this great catastrophe, which claimed many victims and resulted in significant material loss, as soon as possible. I am confident that the Turkish state’s might and the Turkish people’s acumen and support shall suffice to overcome this challenge. Let there be no doubt about that. At this point, TOKİ has completed thousands of projects – from social housing units to urban renewal. Altogether, we already constructed 168,344 residential units worth approximately TL 207 billion across the 11 provinces that the most recent earthquakes devastated. We built 20,605 homes in Malatya, 34,585 homes in Elazığ, 7,261 homes in Şanlıurfa, 20,912 homes in Diyarbakır, 27,947 homes in Gaziantep, 1,929 homes in Kilis, 8,018 homes in Hatay, 21,947 homes in Adana, 3,323 homes in Osmaniye, 5,445 homes in Kahramanmaraş and 7,065 homes in Adıyaman. None of them collapsed in the most recent disaster. Urbanization Must Occur in the Right Place We are not planning to build new communities where the collapsed buildings once stood. Instead, we have been preparing to conduct site selection. However, relocating the entire center of a city is virtually impossible. If a city has already created a certain culture, our job is to preserve it. Of course, if the authorities were to allow people to settle in the same places, some would accuse us of constructing new buildings in the same spots despite earthquake-related risks. In truth, the topographical structure of the relevant region is particularly challenging – which is why we must study the soil carefully. The point is that the ground must be strong enough to support any building that sits on it. According to our regulations, it is possible to use special techniques like fore stakes and jet grouting in places where the soil is not as stable. [caption id="attachment_18011" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Buildings built by TOKİ in the city of Mardin.[/caption] If people choose to live in a given city, it is necessary to establish, mathematically and theoretically, why some buildings collapsed, whether they had been built as required by the topography and if they were too tall. One could even build a home on water if engineers make all calculations safely and properly. Obviously, the costs would be significantly higher. As such, it is important to allocate the necessary funds to construction in line with demographic considerations. In places where we will construct buildings from scratch, our actions will be guided by the assumption that the city should expand in a certain direction if necessary. In previously settled areas, we will do our best to ensure the quality of buildings for people to keep living there. There are micro-zoning studies underway in places where we plan to erect new buildings. We also use ground penetrating radar, drills and other types of equipment to study the soil. Our goal is to lay the foundation of 30,000 homes by the end of March 2023. Renewing the Country’s Buildings Under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Türkiye has resumed a massive urban renewal campaign across the board – starting with Istanbul. TOKİ, too, strives to live up to its responsibilities within the framework of that overhaul. Through such projects, which we have launched in major cities like Istanbul and elsewhere, we aim to improve socially and economically obsolete places with high disaster-related risks with new homes. In this context, the Administration renewed 202,000 residential units with a TL 206 billion investment at the current rate. In addition to ongoing urban renewal projects in 21 counties across Istanbul, we are currently building 10,800 homes and 550 commercial units in nine counties, starting with Esenler, Üsküdar, Gaziosmanpaşa, Ataşehir, Kağıthane, and Zeytinburnu.  Moreover, we are developing projects for approximately 15,000 independent units across the city – including in Maltepe, Tuzla, Pendik, and Bağcılar. On August 19, 2022, we delivered an initial batch of 2,030 homes to property owners with a ceremony that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended. That urban renewal project covers an 800-hectare area in Esenler. [caption id="attachment_18012" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Buildings built by TOKİ in the city of Bolu.[/caption] TOKİ does not limit urban renewal to outdated, unlicensed, or disaster-prone buildings. We also play an important role in updating the country’s buildings by developing projects in all provinces and counties and delivering high-quality and earthquake-resilient structures in line with the principle of horizontal architecture. The Administration, together with its companies, has already built approximately 180,000 homes across Istanbul and completed the construction of 165,000 units. As part of an ongoing goal to build 250,000 new homes, we will deliver 50,000 units in Istanbul. Furthermore, as part of the First Home Plot campaign, we will make enough land available for people to build 50,000 homes to contribute to expanding the number of Istanbul’s high-quality buildings. On September 13, 2022, President Erdoğan launched the most comprehensive social housing project in the Republic’s history. As part of that campaign, which generated significant hype, the authorities will offer 250,000 homes, 1 million residential plots and 10,000 offices to buyers. We also set aside special quotas for young people, pensioners, veterans and the relatives of fallen soldiers and received nearly 8 million applications. That project was designed to provide citizens with affordable homes across 81 provinces. Accordingly, we are building social housing units for citizens who do not own homes, provide citizens, who want to build a home, with plots featuring physical infrastructure, and offer workplaces to everyone seeking to support small and medium-sized enterprises by contributing to production and job creation. The state significantly subsidizes that project. Until now, we have completed most lotteries for homes and plots to identify those who are entitled to them. Unfortunately, the earthquakes resulted in some delays. Yet we will complete all lotteries within a short amount of time. We started laying foundations just one month after the new campaign’s unveiling. To date, we started tenders for approximately 44,000 residential units and launched the construction of most homes. Urban Renewal Must Serve Its True Purpose It is crucial to keep in mind that all buildings have a limited life span. Concrete buildings, in particular, may require repairs at any point following their construction for various reasons. Therefore, it may be necessary to take samples at regular intervals and inspect them. Urban renewal is another necessity in high-risk areas. However, the public falsely believes that buildings become unsafe and collapse only due to earthquakes and other major disasters. The truth is that all outdated structures should be addressed, but we often face complications in the process. That is because everyone has different and high expectations for renewal or transformation. The main purpose of all urban renewal projects, however, is to give people homes where they can live safely. In this regard, it is vital for urban renewal projects to continue by prioritizing high-risk areas where improvements are desperately needed. Ömer Bulut, President of Housing Development Administration of the Republic of Türkiye (TOKİ)