AKP's Özhaseki says 'earthquake survivors are saying it's good that they were demolished'
Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Mehmet Özhaseki used controversial expressions while discussing reconstruction efforts in the earthquake zone during a live broadcast.
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On the first anniversary of the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, channels broadcasting live from the region held broadcasts to reveal the problems faced by earthquake survivors over the past year.
Speaking to Fulya Öztürk on CNN Türk, Minister Özhaseki touched upon the work in the earthquake zone and emphasized the importance of urban transformation.
While explaining these, Özhaseki drew backlash with his words: "Homeowners (if there are no dead) are saying 'it's good that it was demolished, you gave us a villa'."
After explaining at length that the houses in the villages that were destroyed after the earthquake were rebuilt with steel construction and detailing the materials used, Özhaseki said that the villagers to whom he delivered their homes told him, "May God be pleased with you, it's good that it was demolished, you gave us a villa."
Mehmet Özhaseki, in order to correct the phrase 'if there are no dead' he used initially, added at the end of his sentence, "but if there is a death, no instrument has been invented that can measure that pain."