In the 3rd year of the earthquake, expenditures reached 91 billion dollars.

Three Years Since the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake

In the three years following the February 6, 2023 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, a large portion of the housing has been delivered, and the region has been restructured through infrastructure and production investments. According to official data, approximately 85 percent of the migrating population in the earthquake-affected area returned to their cities.

Destruction and Reconstruction Process

The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes centered in Pazarcık and Elbistan caused significant damage in 11 provinces with a population of nearly 15 million. According to official statements, 53,697 people lost their lives, and 107,213 people were injured. A total of 36,932 buildings were completely destroyed, while 311,000 buildings became unusable in the region.

Financial Burden and Expenditures

According to official forecasts for 2023, the total expenditure caused by the earthquake is expected to reach 103 billion dollars. In the past three years, 91.5 billion dollars has been spent. In Turkish lira, this figure represents an expenditure of 3.6 trillion TL. This budget was used for infrastructure, housing, commercial structures, and other humanitarian expenses.

Presidency Report

According to the report from the Presidency of Strategy and Budget, total earthquake expenditures from the central government budget for the 2023-2025 period have been recorded as 3.6 trillion TL. An additional resource of 653 billion TL has been allocated in the 2026 budget for the earthquake-affected region.

Housing and Assistance

In the report published before the third anniversary, it was noted that the construction of 433,667 houses and 21,690 workplaces has been completed. Of the 146.8 billion TL collected in the AFAD donation account, 137.6 billion TL has been spent. Of this amount, 43.5 billion TL went to housing and accommodation, 60.4 billion TL to tent and container infrastructure, and 8.5 billion TL for transportation support.

Healthcare and Education Investments

After the earthquake, approximately 72 billion TL was spent for 13,321 new classrooms, and around 123 billion TL for hospital and health investments. 51.1 billion TL was allocated to electricity and energy infrastructure, 19.8 billion TL to highways and roads, and 26.4 billion TL was directed to railways.

Economic Supports

A total of 17.4 billion TL support was provided to farmers in 2025. The total amount of loans given to tradesmen and artisans was 29.5 billion TL, and support for SMEs was recorded as 47.9 billion TL. Additionally, the financing of the earthquake was supported by international resources amounting to 8.6 billion dollars. As a result, the overall burden of the earthquake on public finance exceeded 100 billion dollars, including indirect items.