JICA President Akihiko Tanaka visited Turkey from April 23 to April 26. During his visit, he inspected the reconstruction of the areas affected by the major earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey in February 2023, and attended the loan agreement signing ceremony with the Turkish government for the “Emergency Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Project,” a yen loan for the purpose of post-disaster reconstruction.
Signing Ceremony for the “Emergency Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Project” with Yen Loan
Turkey, like Japan, is a country prone to earthquakes, and has been hit by numerous major earthquakes. In February last year, a major earthquake with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in southeastern Turkey, killing more than 50,000 people and causing unprecedented damage. JICA has been involved in a variety of reconstruction efforts since then.
Conversation with temporary housing residents in the disaster-stricken area. Buildings were standing before the earthquake.
On March 24, President Tanaka visited Kahramanmarash and Gaziantep prefectures, which were affected by the earthquake, and inspected the areas where the International Emergency Relief Teams were active from the day after the earthquake, temporary housing complexes, and redevelopment areas. In Kahramanmaraş District, they met with the Governor of Kahramanmaraş District, Mr. Mükelem Unruel, and the Mayor of Kahramanmaraş, Mr. Flat Görgel, and expressed their condolences to the victims of the great earthquake. They also expressed their expectations for the implementation of the reconstruction plan developed in cooperation between Kahramanmaraş and JICA, and for “Build Back Better,” which aims to build a society that is more resilient to disasters. He also expressed his hope that the cooperation through the “Post Disaster Support Program for Small and Micro Enterprises”, for which a loan agreement was signed in December last year, will help the affected small and micro enterprises to recover their businesses.
With the mayor of Kahramanmarash in the affected area
On the 25th, I attended the loan agreement signing ceremony for the “Emergency Earthquake Reconstruction Project,” a yen loan for earthquake reconstruction, in Ankara with Finance Minister Mehmet Szymusheki. This project aims to restore infrastructure and housing, and procure ambulances for recovery from the earthquake. Prior to the signing ceremony, Mr. Şimşeki met with Finance Minister Şimşeki and Mehmet Uzhaseki, Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, and stated that the earthquake damage in Turkey was not a matter of concern to him, and that as a country with many earthquakes, he would like to contribute to early recovery efforts.
President Tanaka also met with Mr. Serkan Kayalal, President of the Turkish International Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), who expressed his desire to contribute to peace and stability in the region by promoting cooperation with third countries, which is being conducted jointly with TIKA.
This year, 2024, marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Turkey. JICA, as Turkey’s partner, will continue to cooperate in Turkey’s socio-economic development, including reconstruction from the earthquake and disaster prevention against future disasters.
© Source JICA
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