Azerbaijan to Inaugurate Residential Complex in Quake-Hit Turkish Province

Azerbaijan is preparing to inaugurate a residential complex in a Turkish province severely impacted by the earthquakes in February 2023.

Baku has funded the construction of the 32-hectare (79 acres) "Azerbaijan Neighborhood" in quake-stricken Kahramanmarash, with 90% of the $100 million project already complete.

According to Bekir Dogan, the Kahramanmarash representative of the Global Journalism Council, the handing over of the apartments is set for near future.

"90% of the work has been completed; only cleaning the surroundings, connecting electricity and water lines, and landscaping remain. There are 10,000 apartments here. If each household consists of four people, the complex will accommodate 40,000 residents; if it's five people per household, then 50,000 people will live here," Dogan said.

The project implemented by Azerbaijan State Housing Construction Agency includes residential units, an elementary school, a kindergarten, and a cultural center. Additionally, 799 trade facilities will facilitate employment in the neighborhood.

In a letter to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, President Ilham Aliyev commemorated the memory of the quake victims, reaffirming Azerbaijan’s firm support to Ankara in reconstruction efforts.

“As always, Azerbaijan stood by Türkiye in those difficult days, united around brotherly Türkiye at all levels from the first minutes of the news of the earhtquake, and provided all necessary support and assistance,” President Aliyev said.

In February 2023, Azerbaijan extended humanitarian assistance to Türkiye, shortly after the devastating earthquakes hit the country. The aid included emergency relief supplies, medical assistance, food, and essential necessities to support those affected by the disaster. A field hospital was also installed to render prompt medical assistance to survivors.

Additionally, Azerbaijani rescue teams, medical personnel, and volunteers, as well as special rescue vehicles have been deployed to search for survivors, provide medical aid, and assist in disaster relief operations.

In Kahramanmarash and Hatay regions, the Azerbaijani government assisted post-quake recovery of over 2,600 families.

In September 2024, a school in the “Azerbaijan Neighborhood” in Kahramanmarash was inaugurated. The three-story complex features a top-notch technical workshop, a music room, 2 workshops for art and handicraft classes, a workshop for technology, mathematics, and engineering activities, a library and a sports hall.

On February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes with the magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5 struck Kahramanmarash, causing widespread devastation across 11 provinces in Türkiye.

According to official statements, the quakes directly affected 13 million people, while at least 50,783 people lost their lives across 11 provinces.

According to the Turkish government data, there were 2,618,697 buildings in the 11 provinces affected by the earthquake. As of March 6, 2023, damage assessment surveys conducted on 1,712,182 buildings revealed that 35,355 buildings collapsed, 17,491 buildings required urgent demolition, 179,786 buildings were classified as severely damaged, 40,228 buildings sustained moderate damage, and 431,421 buildings had minor damage.