No Turkish workers living in quarry, Planning Authority inspection finds

The Planning Authority has rejected media reports claiming that hundreds of Turkish workers flown to Malta to work on massive construction projects were expected to start living in an Mqabba quarry. 

The report, carried by the Times of Malta, claimed that “foreign workers equipped with cranes and heavy machinery were erecting prefabricated homes, expected to serve as makeshift bedrooms” for the workers.

“Dozens of Turkish employees, working for TACA Construction, are reported to already be living on site, housed in a former residence in the same quarry and now turned into a number of small bedrooms,” read the report.

In a statement on Wednesday evening, the Planning Authority said it had carried out an inspection of the quarry and had found that “there was no evidence that any persons were living there at any time”.

The PA said that it had found an illegally pitched tent, which the quarry’s owners said were intended to be used as office premises and not residential purposes.

Despite this, the PA said it had issued an enforcement notice for the tent to be removed.