Turkish MPs approve motion to form earthquake measures committee

ANKARA

The Turkish parliament on Tuesday adopted a motion to form an investigation committee for measures to be taken against earthquakes in the country.

This came after all five political party groups in the parliament endorse the proposal to set up a 22-member committee.

The committee will work for three months.

Last week, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, killed at least 110 people, injured more than 1,000, and left many homeless.

In 1999, a magnitude-7.4 tremor hit the industrial province of Kocaeli, leaving nearly 18,000 people dead and around 45,000 others injured.

Nearly 16 million people were affected, and around 200,000 people left homeless.