Minister: TL 2bln spent on urban renewal in Turkey

Turkey's Environment and Urban Planning Minister Fatma Güldemet Sarı said TL 2 billion has been invested since 2012 for urban renewal, during a presentation made for the Parliament's planning and budget commission meeting on Tuesday. While she has indicated work to determine structures at risk from disasters, she also talked about the projects for reconstruction, particularly in the southeastern provinces of Turkey where public buildings have been damaged by terrorist attacks.

"A total of 178 areas have been determined as at risk within the scope of the law and previous decisions of the council of ministers. By the end of 2015, 92,833 structures were determined as at risk, and the ministry has spent two billion Turkish Liras within the scope of urban renewal over the past 3.5 years," Minister Sarı said during the planning and budget commission meeting on Tuesday.

Turkish authorities recently lifted a curfew in the southeastern areas of Cizre, Sur and Silopi, one that has been in place as the military battles the PKK terrorist. The minister mentioned about the projects for city reconstruction, following damage during terrorist conflicts. In order to provide normalization in affected areas, Sarı indicated reconstruction projects. "We are trying to solve the victimization of our citizens who live in those regions. As you know from the national news agencies, the other Turkish ministries are also making projects to solve the victimization of our citizens, and these projects will continue until the normalization process is completed. Life has returned to normal in Silopi, and we are still working to provide the same thing in Cizre and Sur." While the minister has introduced the project for urban renewal in those territories, she emphasized the protection of architecture unique to those areas.