27.11.2025 14:46
In a speech at the TBMM Planning and Budget Commission, CHP Elazığ Deputy Gürsel Erol praised Murat Kurum for his successful work and stated, "I see the fact that such a large number of earthquake housing has been built in such a short time as a success story."
The budget of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change for the year 2026 has started to be discussed in the TBMM Planning and Budget Commission. CHP Elazığ Deputy Gürsel Erol, who spoke during the discussions, made evaluations regarding the construction and revitalization efforts in the earthquake zone. Erol thanked Minister Mehmet Özhaseki and the ministry bureaucracy as a deputy who has been following the process of the 2020 Elazığ Earthquake from the very beginning. He stated that the planning implemented during the earthquake has proven its validity over time.
"WE HAD OBJECTED BUT REALIZED WE WERE WRONG"
Gürsel Erol recalled that they initially objected to the relocation of reserve areas outside the city and the construction of TOKİ housing in new settlement areas after the 2020 earthquake in Elazığ, saying, "At that time, we criticized that 'housing should not be built outside the city, it would disrupt the culture.' However, we saw in the 2023 earthquake that distributing the population density significantly reduces risks. We understood how correct this decision was by experiencing it." Erol noted that similar results were observed in Malatya and other earthquake zones.
"MANAGING THIS PROCESS IS NOT EASY"
In his continued speech, Erol emphasized that the moments of the earthquake are not just a search and rescue activity, but also a management of chaos, crisis, pain, and panic, stating, "Tens of thousands of lives lost, hundreds of thousands of rubble... Despair is experienced at the same time. Planning these processes is not easy. We are a province that has lived through this." Erol stated that he would openly express every application he finds correct and criticize the shortcomings with the same clarity.
"I SEE IT AS A SUCCESS STORY"
Deputy Erol expressed that he sees the rapid completion of earthquake housing as an important success from the ministry's perspective, concluding his remarks as follows: "I have nothing to fear from anyone. I will say everything I find right. I congratulate you and the ministry bureaucracy. I see the construction of earthquake housing in such a short time and in such a large quantity as a success story."