Rents skyrocket in Turkey

Rents have skyrocketed across western and southern areas of Turkey as survivors from last week's earthquakes began relocating to what is considered safer parts of the country.

A Turkish ruling party official told MEE that at least 1.5 million citizens had left the earthquake-ravaged provinces of Hatay, Adiyaman, and Malatya after the 6 February twin quakes.

Huseyin Orhan, a survivor from Gaziantep whose home was severely damaged, said he was trying to find a new home in the capital Ankara but rents were too high.

"The opportunists doubled the rental prices," he said. "We visited five different buildings and they all made astronomical increases."

Several estate agents have since confirmed that prices have spiked in relation to what they were just a few weeks ago, with Hakan Akcam, the chairman of an estate agent's chamber in Ankara, saying prices shot up by between 25-57 percent.

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Rents spike as survivors relocate west in search of safety