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Turkish premier visit Indonesia's tsunami-hit Aceh, offers 1,000 homes
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AFP) Feb 06, 2005
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday made a brief visit to Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged Aceh province and offered to build at least 1,000 homes for survivors.

After arriving on a special flight from Istanbul, Erdogan was met at Banda Aceh's Sultan Iskandar Muda airport by the head of the Indonesian national Aceh disaster coordinating taskforce, welfare minister Alwi Shihab.

They immediately left to visit a center for the displaced at Kueh village, 10 kilometers south of Banda Aceh, at which the Turkish Red Crescent is helping.

"The need we see here regarding housing, schools as well as hospitals, we will do our best to assist as much as we can," Erdogan said.

Erdogan, accompanied by a retinue of some 150 including Trade Minister Mehmet Aydin, then visited a social affairs building in Banda Aceh which had been rehabilitated by Turkish volunteers.

Erdogan said his government plans to build at least 1,000 houses as well as hospitals and schools to help victims in Aceh. He said Turkey would help revive the fishing industry by providing equipment.

Erdogan, who was scheduled to leave later on Sunday, also boarded a helicopter to tour the devastated west coast of the province.

An earthquake and the tsunamis left 240,774 dead or missing in Aceh and more bodies are still being found.

On Saturday alone more than 900 bodies were recovered, mostly in Banda Aceh and the surrounding district of Aceh Besar, officials said.

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