Imamoğlu promises support to 11 cities affected by the earthquake.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and the President of the Union of Turkish Municipalities (TBB), Ekrem İmamoğlu, stated that they have decided to provide support worth approximately 500 million lira, consisting of 89 vehicles and containers, to the provinces affected by the earthquake.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, who came to Adıyaman with TBB Council Members to attend the first meeting of the Earthquake Region Research Commission, which was decided to be established at the TBB meeting, held a press conference after their discussions and meetings. Speaking at a press conference organized at a hotel, IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu emphasized that they would never leave the provinces affected by the February 6 earthquakes alone and would always provide support.

IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu said, “The earthquake disaster we experienced in February 2023 has unfortunately deeply affected 11 of our provinces. In the major earthquake, 5,953 buildings were destroyed in Adıyaman, and unfortunately, 8,387 of our citizens lost their lives. It is necessary to understand and analyze disasters well. Lessons must be learned from disasters. In the February 6 earthquakes, 56,256 of the 107,242 residences in Adıyaman were destroyed or severely damaged. This is a very high rate of damage and loss that we must all carefully consider for restructuring our cities. Why are we experiencing such a process? Why are we facing such a result with sadness? The Law No. 6306, enacted to accelerate urban transformation, unfortunately has not achieved the desired goal in transforming risky cities like Adıyaman. Let me give you an example, the Adıyaman Municipality building was destroyed in the earthquakes, but not even a window was broken in the 4-story Komagene Cultural Center. Because this building was built with the EU funds of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, in accordance with EU legislation. I emphasize this point. Using reason and science to take precautions before disasters saves lives, while misapplied laws and deficiencies cause great harm to our citizens’ lives, property, and all our future. Today, we are here to show that Adıyaman is not alone and that all of the earthquake region feels the same sentiment from here, representing the local governments of Turkey, with the TBB council and my fellow mayors. We are here to show our support and companionship to the weary-hearted citizens of Adıyaman, to demonstrate our citizen unity, and to ensure that every person in our country experiences a good process and can be sensitive, especially in our most troubled moments.”

“We have decided to provide support worth approximately 500 million lira, consisting of 89 vehicles and containers, to our 11 cities affected by the earthquake.”

President Ekrem İmamoğlu, who announced the TBB’s earthquake region support package, said, “As TBB, we have set our goal to stand by both Adıyaman and the other earthquake cities and to put effort into seeking solutions. We will provide regular support to the earthquake regions with all our strength. When we took over the Union of Turkish Municipalities, we felt responsible to start from here, from Adıyaman, so that our earthquake region does not feel abandoned. That is why we are here for the TBB council meeting, we are in Adıyaman. As the TBB council, we decided to provide support in terms of vehicles and garbage containers to the provinces, districts, metropolitan areas, and municipalities affected by the earthquake, according to our available resources. In this context, we decided to provide support worth approximately 500 million lira, consisting of 89 vehicles and containers, to our 11 cities affected by the earthquake. I want to emphasize that as TBB, we are also providing support with 17 vehicles specifically to Adıyaman. Additionally, I would like to mention that 6,000 garbage containers we acquired with our budget for the earthquake region will also be distributed to the region, with 500 of them being delivered to Adıyaman city center. Of course, I want to express that, God willing, we will continue to be present in the earthquake region and contribute with all our efforts and resources in the future.”

“Our only concern is the welfare and happiness of all our nation without exception.”

Emphasizing that every support and assistance they do and will do will be shared with the public in a transparent manner, President İmamoğlu stated, “TBB, for the first time in many years, has experienced a systematic working method and the establishment of a distribution mechanism. When we took over, we unfortunately saw that prior processes lacked a criterion for distribution or a discipline of this nature. The principle of transparency had been violated. Unfortunately, the correct transfer of such grants has not been done properly, and our people have been morally disturbed about this. Despite some complaints made regarding this, no improvement has been observed. When we look back at past pages, we also faced the difficulty of not being able to obtain reliable data. But from now on, we will transform every support, every grant, and every contribution we make into an archive and establish the infrastructure for them to be analyzed with a mechanism multiplier, ensuring TBB’s accountability and transparency will be preserved in archives for the future. In this respect, we pledge to our citizens, along with all my friends here, that we will walk a path that is competent, non-privileged, and fair during our tenure in this process, and I would also like to remind you that during the term of the Municipalities Union, we set out with the motto of ‘justice, not privilege; fairness, not self-interest.'”

Regarding Adıyaman specifically, İmamoğlu conveyed the message that the 11 cities affected by the earthquake disaster are not alone, saying, “Let us not forget that the earthquake disaster reminds us of our ability to be united and collaborate, and the sense of justice it nurtures despite all pressures. We will continue to proceed along the fair path that is inherent to our nation. We are aware that this is the guarantee of our future, the guarantee of the unity and solidarity of our nation, and the starting point that assures that 86 million of our people are equal and free individuals. The nation has made very important decisions at crucial moments. Because we see and know that everything happening occurs in their witness. And we are a team that knows that a better future can come from the local level. We see the nation as a single whole. We do not look at which party anyone has voted for, where they are from, their beliefs or ethnic backgrounds; we see them as our ‘dear citizens.’ Our only concern is the welfare and happiness of all our nation without exception.”