Problems of İzmir earthquake victims on Parliamentary agenda
* Photo: Evrensel
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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Adana MP Tülay Hatimoğulları has addressed a Parliamentary question to Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum about the problems of the people affected by the earthquake that hit the Aegean province of İzmir on October 30, 2020.
Raising concerns about the failure to make any progress in healing the wounds though it has been 9 months since the earthquake happened, she has underlined that people are charged very high amounts of money for the buildings to be constructed in place of the collapsed ones.
In her Parliamentary question, Hatimoğulları has recalled that during the protest held by the İzmir Earthquake Victims Solidarity Association (İZDEDA) on July 31, where they expressed their problems and requests, the earthquake victims announced that they are charged at least 450 thousand lira for buildings to be constructed in place of their collapsed houses.
Noting that none of the earthquake victims is in a financial condition to afford it and that the earthquake victims earn 300 to 4 thousand lira a month and most of them are pensioners, the HDP MP has also raised concerns over the injustice stemming from the different payment schemes that have been prepared for these people based on the damage to the buildings.
Accordingly, HDP Adana MP Hatimoğulları has asked Minister Kurum a series of questions, including the following:
"Will a decision of 30-percent imputed increase be brought to the agenda in order to eliminate the aggrivements?
"Will the earthquake victims be provided with an earthquake victim support by granting a 20-year zero-interest loan with no payments to be made for 2 years and the repayment to be made for 18 years? Are you planning to ensure that everyone pays 50 percent of this cost?
"Are you working to ensure that the payment conditions of the houses will be on an equal level?
"Are you working to introduce an arrangement to eliminate the unjust practice of stripping the people who have more than one house in the same district of their rights?" (KÖ/SD)