Turkish president visits flood-hit region, vows more aid

ISTANBUL

Turkish president on Friday pledged more aid for Turkey’s flood-hit Black Sea region as he visited the area where at least six people died and two people are still missing due to flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rain last week.

“In the first stage, we will build a total of 550 buildings for the structures that were affected by the flood disaster on July 15 and are at risk of disaster across Rize,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a crowd in Guneysu district of his hometown Rize.

Some 3 million Turkish liras ($350,000) have already been delivered for the region’s relief and aids for rent and relocation have been provided to the flood victims in Rize, the president said.

Erdogan also said that 665 buildings have been found to be under risk of flooding in Rize. “While this area is being evacuated, we are realizing our projects to heal the wounds."

“Water is supplied to the entire disaster area, and there is no problem in drinking water, energy, communication, or communication,” he added.

In Rize alone, so far 2,860 personnel including 328 members of search and rescue teams, as well as 705 vehicles have worked, Erdogan said. “Almost all of the 426 roads that were closed due to the floods opened to traffic.”

The neighboring Artvin province has also been affected by heavy rain as around 200 people have been evacuated due to flooding in the region on Thursday.

The Arhavi River overflowed due to heavy rain, badly affecting the district center and village roads in Artvin, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter that one person who was rescued from the rubble in Arhavi and taken to a hospital was in good condition.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu also visited the flood-hit region on Thursday.