While the houses built after the last earthquake in Elazig were sold for money, citizens are now experiencing the same concern for the new houses to be built.
In 1976, after the 7.5 magnitude earthquake centered in Van Çaldıran, the government of the period built 13 thousand houses in a short time like one year, and delivered them to the citizens free of charge.
After the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the center of Çaldıran in Van on November 24, 1976 at 12:22, the region suffered great damage.
While nearly 4 thousand citizens lost their lives, more than 9 thousand buildings were severely damaged and destroyed.
The government of the period managed to heal the wounds in a short period of one year.
It built 13 thousand houses and gave a free key delivery to the citizens.
EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED HUGE, THOUSANDS OF BUILDINGS DESTROYED
After the earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6, which occurred one after the other in Kahramanmaraş, great destruction occurred in 10 provinces. After the earthquake, more than 100 thousand buildings, especially in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay and Adıyaman, which were the epicenters, were destroyed.
While it is unclear whether the earthquake victims will pay a fee for the new houses to be built, the Van-Çaldıran earthquake in 1976, in which the government of the period completed the housing constructions within a year and delivered free of charge, came to mind.
OPPORTUNITIES WERE LIMITED, THE COUNTRY WAS UNDER EMBARGO
Turkey was governed by MC governments in 1977. It was faced with an embargo by the USA due to the Peace Operation in Cyprus in 1974.
While the Turkish economy has been going through hard times for nearly 3 years due to the embargo, it was shaken by the earthquake that occurred in the Çaldıran center of Van. In the words of the Prime Minister of the time, Süleyman Demirel, the country “was in need of 70 cents”.
The severe earthquake experienced under these conditions caused great destruction in many parts of Van. When the financial burden brought by the earthquake was added to the picture where the economic costs were heavy, the situation in the economy got worse.
KUTAN EXPLAINED THEIR EXPERIENCES AT THAT PERIOD
In the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred on November 24, 1976, more than 9,000 buildings were either turned into debris or had to be demolished because they were seen as severely damaged.
Recai Kutan, who served as the Minister of Development and Housing from the National Salvation Party in the Second Nationalist Front Government (MC), talked about the steps they took in the Çaldıran earthquake.
ERBAKAN HODJA MET DEMIREL ABOUT BECOMING MINISTER
Recai Kutan, Minister of Reconstruction and Settlement, who said that he took office shortly after the earthquake in the Çaldıran center of Van, talked about the process of coming to the ministry.
"I received an offer to become the minister of construction and housing. Until then, the minister of zoning and housing has always been in the hands of the CHP. At that time, a great earthquake occurred. The borders of this Van, Çaldıran, Muradiye, Özalp, that is, the province are quite wide and there are many ruins. The buildings are always made up anyway. After that, Erbakan Hodja said; 'These difficulties can only be solved by working day and night with the organization you will establish there.' After expressing this, Erbakan talked to Süleyman Demirel about my becoming a minister," Kutan said.
Stating that he took the ministry seat after the meeting, Kutan noted that he also accelerated his work.
KUTAN DISMISSED THE DISASTER GENERAL MANAGER AS THE FIRST JOB
Noting that they started working on the region after he became a minister, Kutan stated that they sent science officers who came to the region on leave from other places.
Kutan, who met with the district governors, explained the following about the general director of disaster affairs, "During the earthquake, the general manager of disaster affairs combined his leave of several years and went on vacation to England. I immediately prepared a decree and dismissed the general director of disaster affairs. On the most important days this man went to England, which is not acceptable," he added.
RESISTANCE AGAINST DISASTER FUND TRANSFERRED TO THE BUDGET
Noting that he is trying to find a budget for the construction process that needs to be carried out in the region as the minister of construction and settlement, Kutan said, "There is an article about disaster works in the budget. I wanted the money saved there to build houses. Finance said the money was used in the budget. And I said, if this is true, I will resign. After consulting with the Hodja, the problem was solved with the money from the Treasury."
13 THOUSAND FREE HOUSES IN ONE YEAR
Explaining the difficulties of the period with the aggravation of financial difficulties, Kutan said, "Especially in most of the villages of Van, the houses have been destroyed and there is a necessity to build earthquake houses there. But conditions were much more difficult back then. Once there was an earthquake, the standard of the roads is extraordinarily low. There is no asphalt road. It also requires a lot of cement. At that time, we had established a cement factory with our teacher Erbakan. We made a government decision and started to transfer all the cement produced from several other cement factories in the region to the earthquake zone. Despite the economic difficulties of that day, we built 13 thousand houses in a year and delivered them to the citizens without any money."