Minister of Environment, Urbanism, and Climate Change Murat Kurum expressed his disapproval towards companies selling concrete at exorbitant prices in earthquake zones. Kurum stated, “If they are pouring concrete for 5 thousand TL, shut them down.”

During his visit to Malatya, Minister Kurum evaluated the ongoing efforts in earthquake-prone areas. Chairing a coordination meeting at Malatya Metropolitan Municipality, Minister Kurum criticized the companies selling a cubic meter of concrete for 5 thousand lira in earthquake zones.

“TURN TO STEEL, CAN’T POUR CONCRETE” Kurum exclaimed, “How can concrete cost 5 thousand lira? If they are willing to sell concrete at that price, we can switch to steel. Resolve this issue. There are suppliers offering concrete for a normal price of 1800 lira. Let’s say 2200 lira is also common. If it’s 2500 lira, go to a farther place. But it cannot be 5000 lira. If it is, I will turn to steel and won’t be able to pour a cubic meter of concrete. I won’t pay more than 3000 lira for concrete. If you can’t solve it under 3000 lira, I’ll turn to steel.”

“LET’S RESOLVE THIS WITHIN A WEEK” Minister Kurum, emphasizing that profiteering during an imminent earthquake is unacceptable, instructed Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz, saying, “If they are pouring concrete for 5 thousand TL, shut them down. Let’s resolve this matter within a week.”