Turkey to open up demolition works

According to a report on the English pages of the Hurriyet website, demolition contractors from outside Turkey will be eligible to submit tenders for demolition works provided they are part of a joint venture with a Turkish contractor.

Turkey recently announced that a major demolition drive will be undertaken to demolish and replace buildings deemed unsafe. This follows the major damage the country sustained in two recent earthquakes. According to the report, the plan is for buildings more than 16 storeys tall to be demolished using explosives, with buildings lower in height being brought down using other methods. However, expertise in the use of explosives in the country is very limited, hence the need to open up the work to suitably experienced foreign contractors.

Estimates suggest that the US$400 billion drive will result in the demolition of up to 6.5 million buildings across the country, with work expected to last for the next 20 years.