News summary of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on February 22

Turkey’s presidential spokesman acknowledges mistakes have been made, says government will do more to “protect our people”

Turkey’s presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin. (Credit: ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey’s presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told CNN that recovery efforts following the deadly earthquake that struck the region shared with Syria two weeks ago are “advancing on the ground” but much work still needs to be done.

“We are facing a catastrophe of major proportions, we have never seen anything like it. Ten, eleven cities affected at the same time in a huge area, so it will take some time to put everything in order, but we are working day and night… Always there’s more to do to protect our people,” Kalin told CNN’s Becky Anderson in an interview Wednesday.

In Turkey, more than 300,000 tents have been distributed to people in affected areas, and Kalin said “tens of thousands” more, including containers and other temporary shelter, were on the way. He acknowledged the support that NGOs, international organizations and other countries have given Turkey, saying the government is preparing a new “action plan” and “response mechanism” that will expedite efforts on the ground.

“Our president said that we are not going to discriminate between slightly damaged and damaged buildings: they will all be demolished, all will be built once more… that, of course, requires work. We plan to build the first 200,000 new anti-seismic homes throughout the next year. The works have already begun,” he continued.

Frustration in the Turkish public regarding the government’s response to the earthquake and whether or not it was adequately prepared has grown. In response, the presidential spokesman told CNN that “there is always something else to do.”

“Those who have expressed concern are right and we take it very seriously. We are listening to expert scientists, seismologists, geotechnicians and others, and we will build our new cities according to this scientific data, there is no doubt regarding it,” he said.

Kalin acknowledged political infighting between different Turkish parties who blame each other for the repercussions, but said the government is focused on building a “safer and better future” for Turkish citizens.

Turkish authorities have arrested more than 100 Turkish contractors and jailed many for their alleged involvement in shoddy construction following the earthquake in Turkey. Reports have emerged suggesting that the Turkish government has granted amnesties to contractors in the past for building projects without the necessary safety requirements.

Asked to respond to this, Kalin told CNN that the government had taken a “series of strict measures” over the past decade to address these issues, including updating building codes and regulations. He said that if people seriously followed those codes, “we would be in a much better position.”

“I do not want to divert responsibility in any way. We are in a position of responsibility and we have to take action, without a doubt. It is also a matter of a culture of understanding and that everyone follows these guidelines and regulations – individuals, builders, industry private, municipalities, central government, the whole world-, we are all learning great lessons, very costly and sad, but great lessons from all this,” he added.

Turkey has been one of the main gateways for aid to northwest Syria since the earthquake rocked the region, but Kalin said President Erdogan has not spoken with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad; However, he stated that the Turkish government is in contact with Syrian officials and residents on the ground.

President Erdogan’s response to the earthquake may determine the results of an election that is scheduled for May 14, but reports have emerged suggesting it might be postponed to June. Asked by CNN for confirmation, Kalin said the president cannot make that decision alone.

“There is a call from the opposition parties to hold the elections on May 14, as stated before. Right now we don’t know if that will change or not, that depends on the Higher Electoral Committee; they make the final decision on it. But if the political parties meet and agree to postpone them to June 18, it is a possibility… there seems to be a tendency to hold them on time, unless some political consultation leads to another conclusion in the next few days.”