Ecevit tells CNN's Jerrold Kessel, "We have to take strict measures in building construction and have already started taking those measures" ( 255 K/24 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)    GALLERIES: A country lies shattered The story of a rescue VIDEO Interview with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, concerning criticism about the country's readiness for an earthquake, and recovery efforts (August 24) Windows Media 28K 80K Many quake victims have found shelter in refugee camps, but CNN's Ben Wedeman says they still face problems (August 24) Windows Media 28K 80K INTERACTIVE: Chronology of major earthquakes over the last 20 years MESSAGE BOARDS: Turkey Quake RELATED AUDIO Click here to listen to reactions to the earthquake in Turkey

August 24, 1999
Web posted at: 11:55 a.m. EDT (1555 GMT)

In this story: Disease fears rise RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) -- Telecommunications failures in the Turkish provinces hardest hit by last week's devastating earthquake slowed the government's response to the disaster, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said Tuesday.

Nearly 18,000 people were killed in the 7.4 magnitude quake, according to the government's latest count. Thousands more may still lie buried beneath the rubble that crushed them in their sleep in the early morning quake last Tuesday.

In an interview on CNN, Ecevit responded to criticism that his government was ill-prepared for the disaster, despite Turkey's position on some of the world's most active fault lines.

"(Responding to such a crisis) would be a difficult task for any country in the world," Ecevit told CNN's Jerrold Kessel. "It was not confined to one city, to one province, but to a large area."

"Telecommunications were completely cut off for at least two days in the three provinces which are badly hit," the prime minister said. "And transportation was handicapped because bridges were destroyed, roads and highways were destroyed."

Ecevit visited the hardest hit areas early in the disaster, but said he was unable to communicate instructions until he returned to Ankara in the central part of the country.

Asked about alleged poor building standards and the failure of the government to have an earthquake disaster plan in place, the prime minister conceded that "mistakes had been made" in the years leading up to the earthquake.

"We are going to remedy them," he said.

Ecevit said Turkey was concentrating on building temporary tent cities for those displaced by the quake, and would have more permanent shelter in place by winter.

A health official sprays disinfectant on the rubble to rid diseases

The Turkish government put the death toll Tuesday at 17,997, with more than 42,442 people injured. At least 200,000 people have been left homeless, while thousands of others fear returning to their quake-damaged homes.

With little hope of finding more survivors beneath the rubble, international rescue teams were expected to be out of Turkey by Wednesday.

A heavy rainfall complicated the recovery efforts on Tuesday, turning tent cities and roads into mud flats while relief workers feared that the next crisis to strike the region would be a medical one.

Workers had sprayed lime and disinfectants over streets and rubble to help prevent disease, but most of that was washed away by the rain. And relief workers feared that rainwater washing over rotting bodies beneath the debris would spread disease.

Israeli doctors quarantined a 21-year-old Turkish soldier they believed could be suffering from typhoid fever, an acute infection spread by contaminated food and water. Doctors originally diagnosed the soldier with typhoid, but later said he had a severe gastrointestinal fever. Dr. Yaron Bar-Dayan said the Israeli doctors don't have access to the type of laboratory analysis necessary to make a typhoid fever diagnosis.

Many quake victims are suffering from severe dehydration that can lead to fatal complications. Many people who are ill need antibiotics.

Correspondents Ben Wedeman and Walter Rodgers, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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