Turkey’s Public Works Ministry is expecting a 12 billion Japanese yen ($94 million) loan to be approved by the end of the month, reported Milliyet . The funds will be directed toward earthquake repairs and damage prevention.
According to Public Works Minister, Abdulkadir Akcan, the risk of earthquakes is not only a concern for Istanbul and surrounding areas but a problem that affects the whole country. He added that earthquake insurance should be implemented nationwide.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook central Turkey in February, resulting in the deaths of at least 35 people and the collapse of houses and a hospital. Tremors are common in Turkey, where fault lines cris-cross the region. Two major earthquakes hit the country's northwest in 1999, killing more than 18,000 people and wrecking hundreds of thousands of homes. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
