A Year After the Earthquakes in Turkey: Has Anything Changed?

It was Feb. 6: the weather was cold, the sky was dark and the streets were silent. Many were asleep, unaware that life was never going to be the same after 4:17 a.m. It was Feb. 6: it lasted for 1 minute and 5 seconds, with a magnitude of 7.7, and it was fatal. It was Feb. 6 when everyone thought it was over, yet the ground started shaking again. And it was around 1:24 p.m., with a magnitude of 7.6, when it all happened once more. Then it was silent again, and everything was left under the rubble: photographs of distant memories, newly bought books and toys, unlived lives, and unfinished stories.

It’s been a year since the two deadly earthquakes struck the southeastern part of Turkey, which also affected northern Syria, Israel, and Lebanon. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the death toll reached 50,500. Yet this number only includes the identified bodies; needless to say, the actual number is expected to be significantly higher. Turkey had previously experienced destructive earthquakes as it lies in the seismic zones and is categorized as one of the most earthquake-prone countries, yet this was the deadliest in history. For comparison, other earthquake-prone countries like Japan don't get nearly as affected by earthquakes. Most recently, on Jan. 1, 2024, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 and a depth of 10 km (the same as the earthquakes in Turkey) struck Japan’s Noto peninsula. As of today, 202 deaths have been reported and 102 still missing. However, these numbers are strikingly low compared to that of Turkey. This brings the question: why? The answer is simple — the lack of precautions, not the earthquake, kills. The Turkish infrastructure and buildings were not ready to endure an earthquake, and the government failed to handle the crisis. Both of these issues boil down to politics essentially. The two main reasons were the delay and insufficiency in sending aid and construction amnesties. 

After the initial destruction, thousands of people were stuck under debris. The temperature fell below zero in most cities in the southern part of Turkey. Those trapped under the debris were racing against time, facing the dangers of hunger, thirst, and freezing. At that point, the most crucial action needed was the delivery of supplies such as food, drinkable water, and blankets to those injured and trapped under the rubble. The first three days were extremely critical to ensure that the victims could survive. People were sharing their locations on Twitter as a desperate attempt for aid . However, right at that moment, the government imposed a ban on Twitter. This ban aimed to prevent the public from witnessing and criticizing the government's inability to manage the crisis effectively. By doing so, the government also took away the only means of communication for those under the debris. Additionally, the search and rescue teams in the region were not adequately prepared for such a devastating earthquake and proved insufficient. Despite identifying the locations under the rubble, many individuals were abandoned to death due to the danger of collapse and the inadequacy of rescue equipment. 

Meanwhile, other cities sent numerous trucks loaded with aid, but due to the government's lack of organization, this effort also failed. Unplanned trucks hitting the roads created traffic jams, compounded by heavy snowfall closing roads. As a result, during the crucial first three days, essential aid couldn't reach the injured, leading to the loss of many lives under the debris due to hunger, thirst, or freezing. 

Following the earthquake, construction amnesties became a heated topic of discussion. More than 20 laws related to construction amnesties have been enacted since 1948 in Turkey. Yet, the most comprehensive one occurred in 2018 through an omnibus law passed in the Turkish National Assembly just before the presidential election. The construction amnesty, enacted by the AKP government to garner votes in the election, resulted in the registration of a total of 294,166 unlicensed houses in the ten cities most affected by the earthquake. Legalizing buildings not constructed in compliance with earthquake regulations was a major contributing factor to the collapse of 36,932 buildings. 

What is the condition of the southeastern region of Turkey today? Following the earthquake — according to the damage assessment report of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change — 90,609 buildings were either determined to be in urgent need of demolition, heavily damaged or collapsed. The number of residences in these buildings was identified as 269,051; this, unsurprisingly, led a significant portion of the affected individuals to migrate to the western part of the country. However, despite rental assistance provided to earthquake victims, the amount was insufficient to cover the high rents in the country, signifying that those unable to afford these rents and find housing had to continue their lives in tent camps established for earthquake victims. These tent camps faced flooding during cold weather conditions and still serve as a home for many who couldn’t find or afford housing. 

President Erdogan failed to accomplish his promised goal, which he had stated to be “to build 650,000 houses within one year to revive the earthquake-stricken region." Additionally, Taner Yüzgeç, Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Civil Engineers, commented on Erdogan's ambitions: "These are dangerous statements. A city is not merely composed of houses. For a housing project, its plans must be drawn up. Disaster risk plans and geological studies must be conducted, and plans should be developed accordingly. The issue is not only about housing. Certainly, housing is a burning need, but claiming that I can build houses wherever I want means determining the lives of those who will live there from now on." Yüzgeç emphasized that professional organizations, including the Chamber of Architects, were not involved in the reconstruction process of the earthquake-stricken region. He further pointed out that the approach to the issue was solely through the lens of construction and housing production.

Currently, there is an increasingly widespread fear among the citizens regarding a potential earthquake in Istanbul. Turkish geologist and professor Naci Görür has warned multiple times against a possible earthquake with a magnitude above 7.0 centered in the Marmara Sea, highly affecting Istanbul and surrounding cities. This would be even more deadly as almost 20 percent of the country's population resides in Istanbul, and there are serious questions about the durability of the buildings due to construction amnesties. Görür emphasizes that there is an energy accumulation in the North Anatolian Fault, as the last major earthquake was in 1999, in which more than 17,000 lost their lives. As a result, the majority of the buildings today are damaged and not durable enough to withstand another earthquake. Yet, there are still no proper long-term measures taken as precautions. Observing the lack of necessary planning once again signals the potential repetition of history. Last February's events should be a lesson, urging the need for change in the country and hoping that misguided policies and neglect won't cost any more lives.

 In loving memory of the 2023 Earthquake Victims