Rebuilding the Earthquake Zone in 2026: Housing, Factory and Hotel Investment

Three and a half years have passed since the earthquakes of 6 February 2023. As of September 2026 the public-sector picture is clear: TOKİ and the Ministry report 455,000 independent units completed across the 11 provinces (the end-2025 target was 452,983, of which 358,859 homes). For Kahramanmaraş, the hardest-hit province, the 2026 programme foresees 63,300 homes and 5,846 workplaces; 4,500 social-housing units and the City Square project with 116 commercial units are under way. With the housing gap largely closed, it is now the private sector's turn: industrial plants, hotels, commercial buildings and quality housing estates.

This article summarises on-the-ground conditions, costs and risks for industrialists, hoteliers and housing developers planning to invest in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Malatya and Adıyaman in autumn 2026.

What Is Being Built Where in 2026

In Gaziantep and Adana, where damage was comparatively limited, demand is straightforward capacity growth: new industrial plots and logistics.

Industrial Plants and Factory Construction

In the region's industrial zones, most of the precast and concrete plants heavily damaged in 2023 are being replaced with steel structures: light, ductile, fast to erect and easier on weak ground. The main budget drivers are span and height, crane runways, fire suppression and industrial flooring — which is why we budget from the plant programme rather than a generic price per m².

Three region-specific rules for factory investment:

• Soil survey and foundations — alluvium in the Amik Plain (Hatay) and south of Kahramanmaraş; piled foundations or ground improvement must be budgeted from the start.
• Machine loads and dynamic design — vibration and the industrial-building provisions of the 2018 seismic code for textile and metal lines.
• Energy and sustainability — rooftop solar and heat recovery; the large majority of investors now require sustainability criteria. See our article on efficiency and sustainability in industrial facilities.

Savaş Grup's factory construction service delivers design, steel fabrication, erection and site works under one contract for industrial-zone projects in the region.

Hotel and Tourism Investment

Hatay cuisine and Antakya's historic fabric, Nemrut in Adıyaman, ice cream and gastronomy tourism in Kahramanmaraş: accommodation capacity was almost wiped out in 2023, and the return of residents with public housing deliveries has brought back business travel and cultural tourism demand. The format leading in 2026 is the 60–120-room, fully code-compliant, low-energy city hotel. Our hotel construction service covers the process from feasibility to operations-ready handover; in Antakya, a façade in keeping with the historic fabric and a commercial ground floor are the items that decide the return on investment.

Housing and Estates: From Public to Private

TOKİ housing met the basic need; in 2026 the returning upper-middle-income group, industrial managers and public staff are looking for quality rental and for-sale estates. Three critical criteria for a developer: clarity on reserve-area / zoning status, the "built after the earthquake" confidence of C30+ concrete and ductile detailing, and common areas matched to the tenant profile. Under our mass housing and estate construction service we handle design, permits and turnkey delivery.

What to Watch When Building in the Region

1. Labour supply — public programmes absorbed the region's skilled workforce; construction labour rose 30.51% year on year per TurkStat. Contractors who bring their own crews have the edge.
2. Logistics — steel and ready-mix come via the Gaziantep–Adana corridor; add transport to the m² cost.
3. Regulation — reserve-area declarations, plan revisions and expropriation boundaries change plot by plot; confirm before the permit.
4. Building inspection — inspection intensity has increased; as-designed execution and concrete sample records must be kept without compromise.
5. Financing — investment incentives for the region's provinces (social-security, tax and interest support) continue in 2026; include them in the feasibility.

Cost: The September 2026 Picture

TurkStat's July 2026 Construction Cost Index: 28.33% year on year (materials 27.13%, labour 30.51%); building construction 28.37%. In the region, transport, ground improvement and a labour premium come on top of that average; our construction cost guide explains which items drive the budget. Share your plant, hotel or estate programme and we will build the investment budget with you.

Common Ground with Metropolitan Renewal

The lessons on ground, speed and inspection learned in the earthquake zone apply directly to urban renewal in Istanbul and İzmir: plot-specific soil surveys, high shear-wall ratios and independent inspection are now standard.

Working with Savaş Grup in the Region

On housing, factory and hotel projects we work with the landowner or investor under a turnkey contract or a project partnership model. We build the feasibility, permits and construction schedule together and bring the crews and supply chain to the region ourselves. Share your investment plan and let us budget the 2026–2027 calendar together.