Most shelters are not distinct, new constructions like in Hollywood movies but rather publicly available infrastructure like deep underground metro stations and rail tunnels, subterranean sports complexes, underground parking garages, cellar spaces in large public institutions, schools, or government buildings and so on.
With the regulatory amendment in November 2025, a requirement for a shelter was introduced for buildings with more than 10 residential units
As for the 83,500 shelters, this is a project assigned to TOKİ (Housing Development Administration of Turkiye), an organization that has constructed a total of 1,770,855 housing units across Türkiye to date
TOKI has the capacity to build 83.500 shelters in 4 months.
The extensive network of contractors and subcontractors at TOKİ’s disposal is capable of managing this massive operation in a synchronized manner across all 81 provinces.
They built 455,000 homes in 2 years ( for over $90 billion ) in 11 provinces affected by the earthquakes in 2023
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Shelters are equipped to sustain life for at least 21 days in the event that all connections to the outside world are severed. These structures are fitted with filtered ventilation systems to protect against nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological threats as like in Hollywood movies
Off-grid generators for use during power outages, large-capacity water tanks, and storage areas for essential food and medical supplies are also among the standard features of the shelters.