Türkiye to replace 1.5 million quake-risky buildings in Istanbul

Ankara (Türkiye) : Türkiye is planning to build new buildings to replace some 1.5 million risky ones in Istanbul for possible strong earthquakes in the future, the Turkish urbanization minister said on Tuesday.

These residential buildings would be built in two designated areas on the Anatolian and European sides of the city, Murat Kurum told reporters in southern Hatay province.

The move falls into the urban transformation project launched by the Turkish government in the quake-prone Marmara region, the country's industrial powerhouse in the northwest.

The government would also reduce the density of the constructions and strengthen industrial areas against earthquakes, Kurum noted.

More than 44,000 people have died in the recent catastrophic earthquakes in southern Türkiye, evoking public fears in Türkiye that their houses won't withstand the strong shocks.

This is not the first time Istanbul undergoes a city transformation project. In the wake of the 1999 Izmit quake, the Turkish government launched a project to replace old buildings in the city.