According to the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, the time given to complete the repair of moderately damaged houses will expire at the end of this year. If the limited damage to these houses is not rectified, the houses will be demolished. In addition, the cost of demolition will be borne by the homeowners.
Hüsnü Gürpınar, the chairman of the Adapazarı Chamber of Construction Engineers, explained that people do not carry out repairs to their property. “It is a big mistake to stay in these houses when it is unsafe. People don’t think about repairs. Continually extending the deadline for repairs is not a good approach. I don’t think the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement will extend the deadline again,” Gürpınar noted.
Mentioning the risk to even undamaged flats in an earthquake, Gürpınar said that 95 percent of homeowners rent their damaged flats rather than staying in them. “People try to cover the cracks with plaster and paint and then rent their flats to people from abroad. Why should homeowners repair their flats if they are not living in them? Unfortunately, this opinion is common. However, people can be hit by an earthquake at any time. In addition to this, people who allow others to reside in their property could be held responsible in this situation,” Gürpınar stated.
Another issue to which Gürpınar drew attention was that it is necessary to raise public awareness. “According to existing regulations, people need to reinforce their buildings. Maybe giving long-term loans could be a solution,” he added.
