Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık stated, "All institutions of Türkiye, all facilities have been mobilized to heal the wounds of the earthquake zone as soon as possible. One of them is the Ministry of Family and Social Services. We are running non-stop, without rest, to put every opportunity we can at the service of citizens. This nation is always ready and willing to support each other in such difficult times with its national consciousness and the identity it has carried since the beginning of history."
Minister Yanık visited the AK Parti Provincial Presidency within the scope of her Kahramanmaraş program, and in her speech there, she stated that important efforts were made with the cooperation of the government and the nation to heal the wounds of the earthquake, and thanked those who contributed.
Stating that the data revealed the magnitude of the disaster, Minister Yanık said that the cities started to recover together. Minister Derya Yanık stated that the Ministry was following the processes regarding the subsequent needs of the citizens who became persons with disabilities due to the earthquake and emphasized that the prosthesis and other health needs of those who lost limbs would be covered by the government. Minister Derya Yanık stated that the government mobilized for the earthquake zone and continued as follows:
"In the earthquake zone, all kinds of material and moral activities have been and are being carried out to meet the needs of the earthquake survivors, including citizens who travel outside the zone. This will continue in the coming period and we, as the government, as the state, as ministries, will provide what the citizens need and deliver it to them. So no, we cannot bring back those who are gone. However, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that our citizens who continue their lives can keep on living in safety in the future."
Minister Derya Yanık later visited the MHP Provincial Directorate, which conducted its activities in a container set up in Edik Park, and conveyed them get well soon wishes.
Minister Yanık, who visited the social market, established by the Disaster Emergency Social Assistance (ASYA) within the scope of her contacts in Kahramanmaraş, told reporters that the Ministry continued to work in the earthquake zone.
"The mission of the Ministry is 'leaving none of the citizens behind, no matter the location" '"
Emphasizing that the mission of President of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was "to leave none of the citizens behind, no matter the location", Minister Yanık added that the Ministry were working to reach out to all earthquake survivors. Stating that they were working on unaccompanied minors with great sensitivity and care, Minister Derya Yanık continued as follows:
"The number of unaccompanied minors reaching out to the Ministry to date is 1915. Recently, you have been hearing this number being repeated by us. The reason for this is that at the beginning of the earthquake, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Family and Social Services together with the General Directorate of Security were registering all unaccompanied minors for a certain period of time, and then we were following the processes of identification and returning them to their families. However, as the identification of unaccompanied minors concerns public order, it has been under the direct responsibility of the General Directorate of Security and the Ministry of Interior for about a month. We are currently working on the 1915 children who have already been registered in the records of our Ministry, whose identity is still unknown or whose families need to be contacted."
1783 children have been handed over to their families
Stating that children in need of care were brought to their institutions, Minister Yanık provided the following data on unaccompanied minors:
"So far, 1783 children have been handed over to their families out of 1915 children. The number of children currently being followed up at the hospital is 47. Unfortunately, the number of children who passed away while being treated in the hospital is 7. We have 78 children in institutional care. The number of children in residential care who have not yet been identified is 23. Apart from these children, thank goodness this is the number of children who are alive, I can also share the information that 472 children among the children sought by families have passed away."
"In total, 87 of warehouses are already in active use"
Stating that one of the main responsibilities of the Ministry within the scope of disaster and emergency was psychosocial support activities and the other was in-kind donations and warehouse management, Minister Derya Yanık noted the following:
"We are currently providing in-kind aid with 3,259 ASYA personnel and 574 vehicles in 11 provinces across the earthquake zone. In terms of air flights, 445 helicopters, 42 airplanes, and 487 air flights in total have been carried out. As of now, we have 71 warehouses. As you know, we have established warehouses as certain logistics centers in the earthquake zone and we store consumables in these warehouses and distribute them to the areas in need from these warehouses. We have 16 warehouses for aid coming from abroad, mostly near customs gates. In total, 87 of warehouses are already in active use, commercial life should also start, and the daily commercial activities of citizens should be supported to feed the economy."
"We will continue to support the earthquake survivors"
Stating that the Ministry established 203 social markets in the earthquake zone as of yesterday and that they distributed approximately 89 million products in 64 categories so far, Minister Yanık continued as follows:
"Starting from the beginning of the earthquake and after, we have gradually sent 760 million liras of emergency funds to 10 provinces. We have then sent emergency appropriations of 639.605.000 liras to the remaining 71 provinces to which the earthquake survivors were transferred. We have sent 1.399.650.000 Turkish Liras of emergency funds to our social assistance foundations within the scope of disasters until today. We will continue to support the foundations and support the earthquake survivors through our foundations, especially in the places where the earthquake survivors are densely populated, with additional periodic shares as needed in the coming period. "
Minister Derya Yanık emphasized that the Ministry conducted 1.481.367 interviews with 4.808 personnel in the earthquake zone so far regarding psychosocial support and stated that they attached great importance to these activities. Minister Derya Yanık also stated that they carried out important activities for the needs of women in the earthquake zone and added that they would continue to work on every issue with the same determination.
Minister Derya Yanık then inspected the "AFAD Kocaeli Bazaar", which was brought to the city by the Kocaeli Governor's Office for small local businesses whose workplaces were destroyed or heavily damaged in the earthquake to be included in the economic life again.
"God willing, we will overcome these difficult days together"
Minister Yanık, who participated in the Iftar program organized by the July 15 Association in the tent as part of her contacts in Kahramanmaraş, broke her fast with the earthquake survivors during the program where the Holy Quran was recited. Minister Yanık, in her speech, stated that they had been working intensively since the first day to heal the wounds of the earthquakes that hurt the entire Türkiye. Thanking the authorities of the July 15 Association for the Iftar, Minister Yanık noted the following:
"With the permission of God, we will get through these difficult days together. We will get through this by being brothers and sisters to each other, by mobilizing feelings of solidarity, by sharing our meals, and by supporting each other. I hope that we as a whole nation, with the support of our country, our government, and the leadership of, Mr. President, will get over these days. Dear friends, you are all witnesses from the first day. All institutions, all means of the government are mobilized to heal the wounds of the earthquake zone as soon as possible. One of them is the Ministry. We are running non-stop, without rest, to put every opportunity we can at the service of citizens.
This nation is always ready and willing to support each other in such difficult times and come together very quickly with its national consciousness and the identity it has carried since the beginning of history. God willing, we will get up from where we fell, heal our wounds and continue to run to the Century of Türkiye. We will run together and show the whole world that we are ready to make the 21st century the Century of Türkiye.”
Minister Yanık thanked those who supported the earthquake zone, volunteers, the international community who sent aid from abroad, citizens abroad, and public officials who rushed to the zone.
Minister Derya Yanık also paid condolence visits to the families of AK Parti Kahramanmaraş Provincial Executive Board Member Zeki Yenitürk and Provincial Women's Branch Chair Gül Çitil Okur, who lost their lives in the earthquake.