the town of Nurdagi will be completely razed

The earthquake knocked down Nurdagi (Turkey), a town of 40,000 inhabitants which will be completely razed and wiped off the map. In the middle of this open-air cemetery, an epitaph written in red: “Farewell Nurdağı, February 6, 2023”. Residents mourn their city and what they lived there and try to recover the furniture that has survived. For the past two days, it’s the save-the-box. Everything that has resisted is emptied, despite the risk of collapse. The authorities want to make Nurdağı a symbol. “Destroyed in a breath, rebuilt in a year in the same place”that’s the promise.

Containers and prefabs installed

Some residents who do not believe in this express reconstruction have decided to pack up and leave. A few kilometers from the city, a farmer has chosen to stay, despite the trauma for his animals and his fields. For thousands of refugees, only one hope: that their city will one day recover.

“On the outskirts of Nurdağı, hundreds of containers and prefabs are being installed to allow residents to live in more decent conditions and begin to rebuild, slowly in the image of their city”observes Diane Schlienger, special envoy to Turkey.