Turkey’s Minister meets with Maltese counterpart to discuss earthquake zone efforts
Turkey’s Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, recently met with Malta’s Minister for Social and Economic Housing, Roderick Galdes, to discuss efforts in the earthquake zone and urban transformation initiatives across Turkey. The meeting took place at the Ministry, where Minister Kurum provided insights into the reconstruction in the earthquake zone and the nationwide urban transformation campaign. Minister Galdes praised Turkey’s efforts in the earthquake zone, specifically highlighting the swift progress in Gaziantep. He mentioned, “I visited Gaziantep, and the houses are already completed. Thanks to the Turkish government, people have quickly moved into their new homes. We are also preparing a disaster intervention plan and would like to benefit from Turkey’s knowledge in this area.”
Minister Kurum hosted Malta’s Minister of Social and Economic Housing, Roderick Galdes, at his office, with the participation of Deputy Minister Ömer Bulut and Director General of the European Union and External Relations Ismail Tüzgen. During the meeting, the two countries discussed collaboration topics and Turkey’s candidacy for the COP31 presidency in 2026.
Over the span of 12 years, Turkey has transformed approximately 2 million independent units, providing safe housing for over 8 million people as part of the country’s “Urban Transformation Campaign Everywhere” initiative. Minister Kurum highlighted that around 2.3 million new independent units have been constructed, with 400,000 units currently undergoing transformation. Additionally, he noted that the “Planned Urbanization and Housing Production Mobilization,” which enables low-income citizens to own homes, has delivered about 1.5 million units in 21 years. Minister Kurum shared information with Minister Galdes regarding Turkey’s planned urbanization efforts during the latter’s visit to the earthquake-affected Nurdağı district in Gaziantep.
Minister Roderick Galdes expressed his gratitude for the warm reception in Turkey and extended an invitation to Minister Kurum to visit Malta. He commended Turkey’s reconstruction efforts in the earthquake zone, stating, “We visited Gaziantep. The houses are complete. Thanks to the Turkish government, people have quickly moved into their new homes. I saw that the new houses offer a better quality of life.”
Expressing a desire to benefit from Turkey’s experiences, Minister Galdes mentioned, “We also have housing projects, and we are preparing a disaster intervention plan. We would like to utilize Turkey’s knowledge in this regard.” He declared support for Turkey’s candidacy for the COP31 Presidency. Minister Kurum, in response, thanked Minister Galdes for the visit and emphasized Turkey’s readiness for cooperation in various fields.
During his recent visit to the Nurdağı district in Gaziantep, Minister Galdes had praised Turkey for its efficient response to the earthquake and rapid reconstruction of permanent housing for affected residents. He remarked, “It was an extraordinary experience for us. The fact that permanent housing units were completed and handed over to rightful owners in such a short time, within a year, following such a devastating natural disaster demonstrates the solidarity and mobilization spirit displayed. It shows that the Republic of Turkey is a great state. It indicates a very high reflex to be able to solve the problems of its citizens in such challenging times. I would like to congratulate the officials of the Republic of Turkey Government and the Mass Housing Administration for this very high-quality work.”
In conclusion, the meeting between Turkey’s Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, and Malta’s Minister for Social and Economic Housing, Roderick Galdes, highlighted the strong collaboration between the two countries in addressing the challenges posed by earthquake zones and urban transformation. The exchange of knowledge and experiences between Turkey and Malta signifies a shared commitment to disaster resilience and sustainable urban development.
