12punto had brought it to the agenda! 'Ministry of Earthquake' discussed at the Erdoğan-Özel meeting

Veteran journalist Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu hosted Kiptaş General Manager Ali Kurt at the 12punto studios on April 30. 

Urban transformation in Istanbul, new structures to be built with the support of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), and housing ownership for low-income citizens were discussed.

During the program, a call for a "Ministry of Earthquake" was made ahead of the meeting between President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and CHP leader Özgür Özel.

"TURKEY WILL BENEFIT"

Mollaveisoğlu, who made evaluations regarding the fight against earthquakes and the earthquake risk in Istanbul during the Özel and Erdoğan meeting, had said, "Turkey will benefit from this meeting in terms of earthquakes."

"YOU ARE OBLIGED TO MEET"

Kurt had made the following comment: 

"Our children will benefit. There is nothing more natural than leaders meeting. I am speaking as a citizen, not as a party. One side is the leader of the opposition, the other is the leader of the government, the President. There shouldn't be such a thing as not meeting; you are obliged to meet."

"WHAT WILL ERDOĞAN SAY"

In his closing remarks, Mollaveisoğlu said, "If he isn't doing it, he can watch our program and add it to his agenda. It is truly an issue above politics where human life is at stake. At least this problem will have been explained to the number one person; let's see what Erdoğan will say? We are all curious. I predict that this result will come out of that table," and finally added: "This issue must definitely be discussed at the meeting between Özgür Özel and Erdoğan; let's see what Erdoğan will say?"

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL'S STATEMENT ON THE MINISTRY OF EARTHQUAKE

Following 12punto's call, CHP leader Özel, who made statements to journalists after his meeting with the DEM Party yesterday, said that he attaches importance to the establishment of a Ministry of Earthquake when asked whether he had presented a proposal regarding the Ministry of Earthquake to President Erdoğan.

Emphasizing that one of Turkey's most important existential threats is the Istanbul earthquake, for which the country would be caught unprepared, Özel made the following assessments:

"Millions of people could die in an Istanbul earthquake. If we are not fully prepared when the Istanbul earthquake occurs, the Turkish economy will collapse. Furthermore, Turkey's connection with the financial world will be severed. We would lose the executives of some of Turkey's companies and the headquarters of those companies. Turkey's connection between Europe and Asia could disappear. It might even become impossible to deliver humanitarian aid to that city. This issue is neither a matter for the government alone, nor a matter that the municipality managing that city can solve on its own, nor is it a situation that allows the opposition to find a space for opposition. This issue itself is an existential threat to the country."

Stating that they discussed the Ministry of Earthquake with Erdoğan, Özel said, "I suggested to Mr. Erdoğan that he establish a ministry, whether it is named directly as the Ministry of Earthquake or as the Ministry of Disaster Management and Earthquake Preparedness."

"IT IS UNDER HIS OWN AUTHORITY"

Özel continued as follows:

"I suggested more; I made evaluations regarding the importance of requesting a deputy minister from all political parties with a group in parliament, stating that I would appoint a deputy minister from my party, and that it is important to handle the earthquake issue in a way that is above politics, to take it out of the narrow debates of politics, and to eliminate an existential threat by joining forces. The President followed carefully, took notes, and had notes taken. However, as you know, according to the Constitution, the establishment of new ministries is under his own authority. It is under his own jurisdiction. I don't know what step he will take. I would value its establishment. If there is a request from our party, I would see providing a deputy minister to the Ministry of Earthquake not from a political perspective, but from a humanitarian and conscientious perspective, and as a responsibility we must take to avoid regret that day."

News Source : 12punto