Earthquake commission to be established in TurkeyNovember 19, 2011 - 13:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An “earthquake commission” will be established within the next 15 days to conduct an Istanbul-wide assessment to identify and fix buildings that might not withstand an earthquake, according to Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Kadir Topbaş. “We are aiming to deliver Istanbul from the risks of an earthquake through [the kind of] coordination that transcends politics,” Topbaş said after a meeting held in Fatih’s Saraçhane neighborhood. The meeting in Saraçhane was attended by local politicians, including 36 district mayors, the group deputy presidents in the municipal council from both the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) as well as other officials. Each district will form its own model to deal with the challenge of earthquake-proofing buildings, according to Topbaş, while the districts will also be prioritized, as it is impossible to transform the 1.6 million buildings in the city all at once. Street drills and other instructive programs will be initiated to train Istanbul residents in how to behave during and after an earthquake, while citizens will also be able to apply to universities and to the municipality-owned Bosphorus Construction Consultancy Corp. (BİMTAŞ) to learn more about their houses’ relative resistance to quakes. There are between 50,000 and 60,000 buildings in Istanbul that need to be demolished immediately, Hurriyet Daily News reported. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. |