ISTANBUL (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday declared the 10 provinces affected by the earthquakes in southern Turkey as a disaster zone, imposing a state of emergency in the region for three months.
Here is what the measure may entail.
* Under a state of emergency declared due to a disaster, the government can request that public and private institutions or individuals give up land, buildings, vehicles, food, medicine and more.
* It also has a wider say in how a wide range of resources, from fuel and medicine to construction material, are used. It can impound facilities that produce, sell or store such material and close down businesses that engage in actions, such as price gouging, hoarding of supplies or hampering of the production of goods needed for nutrition, heating, hygiene and lighting.
* Regional governors are also allowed to ask for help from military units in the case of extraordinary or sudden events.
* The state can decide when various businesses can open or close, or use their facilities. It can knock down buildings that pose a threat, direct air, land and maritime traffic and close off parts of the region for settlement or entry.
* The state can assign work to people between the ages of 18 and 60, and cancel days off, including weekends.
* In addition, the defence ministry said around 9,000 troops, 38 helicopters, eight ships, and 50 cargo planes were assisting rescue operations and helping transfer those injured to hospital.
* The military is also helping bring portable kitchens, toilets, power generators among other supplies to those in need, the ministry said.
(Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen, compiled by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
