Erdogan says Turkey needs stricter construction rules
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the enforcement of stricter building regulations was needed after a powerful earthquake rocked southern Turkey last week, killing tens of thousands people.
Erdogan said "collapsed buildings reminded the government of the need for stricter construction rules" in a televised speech, adding that his government would continue work until the last person was rescued from the ruins in the quake-hit area.
The owner of a collapsed apartment complex was detained last week at the Istanbul airport while he was trying to leave the country.
In his speech, Erdogan added that the quakes were "as big as atomic bombs". The death toll currently stands at 35,418 in the country.
He also said that hundreds of thousands of buildings were uninhabitable across southern Turkey, adding "any country would face issues we did during such a disaster".
A report by the Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation said that the disaster could cost Ankara up to $84.1bn in reconstruction costs and loss in national income.