Turkey earthquake: Why reconstruction could miss Erdogan's goal

FILE PHOTO: A new building for earthquake survivors is under construction in Diyarbakir, Turkey August 26, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Sheltering in a converted shipping container, Ismet Kaplan waits to hear if he's eligible for one of hundreds of thousands of homes President Tayyip Erdogan promised would replace those ruined by modern Turkey's deadliest earthquake in February.

Days after the quake and with a national election looming, Erdogan made bold promises. While survivors were still emerging from rubble, he said half the disaster zone would be rebuilt within a year - a total of 319,000 homes.