VAN EARTHQUAKE AFTERMATH

The Van Governor's Office decided to empty all tent cities put up in Van after the two major earthquakes in October and November last year. The tent cities sheltering thousands of earthquake victims shall be removed within one week.

Four of these tent cities are in the centre of Van, five of them were erected in Erciş. The nine tent cities host at total of 721 tents.

It was reported that the background of the emptying of the tent cities was Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's statement that "nobody will remain in tents in February". It was also said that the prime minister was going to pay a visit to Van in the coming week.

In a statement made to bianet, an official of the Van Women Association conveyed information obtained about the tent city in front of the Meat and Fish State Corporation in the centre of Van that consists of 350 tents. According to the statement, food and electricity supplies were cut on Friday (10 February).

House or flat owners are going to move to containers. However, the people who lived on rent before the quakes have nowhere to go and became victims of the situation, the official said. Apparently, tension was increasing between the police and the gendarmerie and renters who still remained in the tents on Saturday morning (11 February).

"We heard that the earthquake victims who previously lived on rent wanted to remain in the tents since they have nowhere else to go but the police and gendarmerie intervened".

"Tear gas and batons were used in the arising commotion. Two people were apparently taken to hospital. Furthermore, a hospital and a school set up in the tent city were removed". (EKN/VK)