Fish market reopens in quake-hit city

The fish market in the southern province of Hatay's İskenderun district, which faced massive destruction in the deadly Feb. 6 quakes, has reopened its stalls with the completion of renovation works.

The fish market in the district's center was mostly destroyed in the twin earthquake that jolted the country's southern provinces in early February.

While the works are ongoing to heal the wounds and restore the city to its previous state, fishermen reopened their stalls as the three-and-a-half-month-long renovation works ended.

Mehmet Ali Aytekin from a fish market cooperative in the region stated that they put all kinds of fish that quake survivors longed for on their stalls.

Stating that the demand is high even though there is a slight increase in prices, Aytekin noted that it is essential for residents to reach all their needs in the region in order to accomplish normalization in the quake-hit areas.

The fishermen in the market hope to return to the old days of the city, he added.

"The market was quite popular among the residences. Before the earthquake, we were 22 shopkeepers here, and you could not find a seat to sit and eat your meal. We could accommodate almost 700-800 people on weekends," he said.