After the earthquake, which was described as the disaster of the century in Turkey and caused tens of thousands of loss of life, durable housing and urban transformation gained vital importance.
In these days when the country is trying to heal the wounds together, the necessity of strengthening the building stock against new earthquakes has come to light once again.
Citizens who have suffered significant loss of life and property in the earthquake disaster experienced in the past years in İzmir, which is located on the first-degree earthquake zone, question the safety of the buildings they live in.
Noting that the buildings in İzmir should be renewed at a rate of 60-70%, the representatives of the construction and real estate sector emphasized the importance of bringing the city's healthy building stock as soon as possible.
Sector representatives noted that local governments and the government should create a road plan against earthquakes, and underlined that it is imperative to make an island-based transformation instead of building transformation.
İsmail Kahraman, President of the Contractors Federation and Member of the Board of İZTO:
WE NEED TO SPEED IN THE TRANSFORMATION
May God have mercy on our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake, I wish a quick recovery to the injured. Bless our nation. Once again, we came face to face with the reality of the earthquake. When we look at the destroyed buildings, most of them are illegal structures built before 1999 with licenses and without engineering service. We saw that the buildings built after the earthquake regulations were also demolished. I think it is these buildings that we should consider. Why were these buildings, which received building inspection and all engineering services, demolished? Investigations and damage assessments are carried out. It is being investigated whether there are any negligence. There may be a string of negligence here. It is necessary to see the results of the damage determination and studies carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. Today is the time to heal the wounds; time of togetherness. Especially in Izmir and Istanbul; We need to take urgent measures. Transformation needs to be accelerated. Our risky building stock is over 60%. We cannot do urban transformation, we have to make master plans and melt the risky building stock in order of priority. We need to produce land. We think that the planning of areas that have lost their agricultural and forest characteristics as urban transformation reserve areas and the production of land will contribute significantly to the process.
Gözde Group Chairman of the Board Op. Dr. Kenan Kali:
TOGETHER WE MUST WORK MORE
After the earthquake, the region started to migrate. Some of this migration will be temporary and some will be permanent. Currently, there is migration to Izmir, Istanbul and Antalya. People will want to go back again and again. People's cultural and kinship ties are very strong, they have lands and gardens there. It must be said that there is a good in every evil. In this process, it is very important that the houses to be rebuilt are sound and urban planning. It is possible to leave more livable works for future generations by building new and solid cities. We see that the government is taking quick steps in this regard. A significant urbanization will be achieved in the region in about 2 years. Firms producing construction materials in that region were also adversely affected. There will be some difficulties in building materials in the country. Izmir is a city with a dense old housing stock. Quick steps need to be taken in terms of urban renewal in İzmir as well. Despite everything, we should not lose hope. We will continue our efforts to make our country and people prosperous by working harder and working together with people at all levels. I wish God's mercy on the deceased and patience for their relatives.
Barış Öncü, Chairman of Sirius Yapı A.Ş.
WE MUST CONTINUE THE FIGHT BY CONNECTING
After the earthquake, people began to question the soundness of the ground and the building in their area. We also saw that new buildings built in accordance with earthquake regulations were demolished. Here either there is a situation related to the intensity of the earthquake or there is another mistake made. Buildings were exposed to an earthquake intensity higher than predicted one after the other. Memorizations on earthquake and building control issues were also broken. In this regard, the government, local governments and citizens should act by meeting on a common ground. Here, it is necessary to act with a supra-political approach, keeping the life safety of the citizens in the foreground. Development plans and urban transformation plans should be implemented. Homeowners should not demand the features of their destroyed houses by self-sacrifice. At the moment, the strength of the building and its resistance to earthquakes should be prioritized rather than its square meters and façades. As for urban transformation, necessary precedent increases should be made and transformation should be carried out on an island basis and spread throughout the city as much as possible. As a country, we are fighting against earthquakes by being united. From now on, I think we should fight the same for the renewal of cities.
Munir Tanyer, Chairman of the Board of Tanyer Yapı
BUILDING INSPECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT
In Turkey, the reinforcement and concrete quality of the buildings built before 1998 was low. After 1998, the more use of iron in columns and beams and the increase in concrete standards also strengthened the building structure. It is important in terms of regulations to do all these against the forces that the building exerts on the ground and on the sides. They should also be well controlled. There should be no problem in building inspection applications from the ground up.
People in İzmir are more conscious now. How is the ground in their area? Does the fault line cross? Before building inspection firms, buildings were controlled by civil engineers and chambers. I think a control mechanism that includes rooms should be repositioned. Thus, structural errors are prevented. Here, the implementing contractor companies, audit firms and citizens have important responsibilities. It is also important for local governments to plan the location of buildings in cities according to geological ground surveys. Land is scarce in İzmir and therefore every place is valuable. However, it is also inconvenient to build new houses in areas where the ground is not suitable. At the same time, not allowing illegal buildings and retrospectively inspecting the buildings benefiting from the zoning amnesty will prevent loss of life and property. In the next process, solid buildings should be built on solid ground, and their building inspections should be done appropriately. On this occasion, I wish God's mercy on those who lost their lives in the earthquake. Condolences to our entire nation.
Özkan Yalaza, General Manager of Real Estate Service Partnership (GHO)
URBAN TRANSFORMATION MUST BE FOCUSED
When purchasing housing, people now need to choose durable and earthquake-resistant ones. While constructing buildings rather than square meters and social facilities, questions regarding infrastructure such as which concrete is used and whether there are piles on the ground should also be asked. What matters is where and how the building is built. On a solid pile foundation, it is now possible to construct buildings on most terrains. But this also increases the cost. Citizens from outside the city began to come to Izmir. However, housing prices in İzmir are at a high level. We also recommend the north of İzmir, which has a solid ground and affordable transportation and prices. It is necessary to open new areas in the city by taking action on urban transformation. The building is currently undergoing renovation. The population is growing; but new parking areas and roads are not being built. If the transformation is island-based, it may be possible to bring new areas to the city. Ministries and local governments should encourage transformation in this regard.
Doğan Kaya, Chairman of the Board of Erkaya İnşaat
PEOPLE MUST CHOOSE MORE CONSCIOUSLY NOW
The recent earthquake caused significant loss of life and property in our country. May God have mercy on those who lost their lives, I wish my condolences and patience to those who are left. This earthquake reminded us of some facts once again. After the earthquake, citizens prefer areas and residences that are advantageous in terms of transportation, with solid ground, resistant to earthquakes. After the earthquake, the society became very conscious. Living in the city center is no longer as important as it used to be. Conscious people do not insist on space. He decides to sit at the points where the ground is more solid. People of Izmir are also pushing their budgets for quality housing. It goes beyond its budget to raise its standard. Now people have to act more consciously in the next process. Building Inspection companies should also increase their inspections by considering the earthquake reality. I believe that we will overcome these difficult days with the spirit of unity, solidarity and solidarity as a country.
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