Thursday, August 26, 1999 Published at 05:37 GMT 06:37 UK
Quake aid effort intensifies
Seeking shelter: Turkey has pledged temporary homes for all victims
An international aid race to bring shelter to the 200,000 survivors of the Turkish earthquake is gathering momentum as the country's government launches a massive appeal for everything from tents to bulldozers.
Aid agencies and governments have reacted swiftly.
At least 20 aircraft carrying supplies of tents, blankets, food and medicine have already landed at Istanbul and more are expected in the coming days.
While one four-year-old boy was pulled alive from the rubble on Monday, hope of finding any more survivors has evaporated.
Turkey has asked the United Nations to supply 45,000 body bags as the grim task of clearing the rubble continues.
However, as 200,000 people continue to live outdoors, concern remains high for an outbreak of disease as the muddy conditions make it impossible to ensure adequate levels of sanitation.
"The major concern at the moment is to avert a public health crisis which could be caused by a combination of the hot weather, recent heavy rains, decomposing bodies and broken sewerage systems," said David Alexander of the British Red Cross.
But Dr Michel Thieren of the World Health Organisation said that the real threat remained poor sanitation and contaminated water rather than unburied corpses.
PM hits back
Mr Ecevit has defended his government's handling of the earthquake.
But he also blamed the destruction of north-west Turkey's communications links for the shortcomings in his government's response in the days following the earthquake.
The government has also announced that it is temporarily closing down the Channel Six television station because of its "provocative" coverage of the earthquake.
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