Earthquakes in Turkey

The population of any country is very important, whether it's big or small. For example, in 2017 the population of turkey in turkey was about 6 million people and after that in 2019, it began to decrease with a drop from 9 million people, so there's a little difference between what we have now and what our ancestors had. But in 2020 we are also seeing an increase in turkey numbers, and most of them are younglings, so the number of deaths must be very high or something happened. One of the biggest disasters Turkey has been going through for many years now, and it can bring a lot of pain to all of us as well as to the Turkish government at the moment.

How do earthquakes happen?

Earthquakes happen when the ground shakes up from earthquake movement on the surface of the Earth at great speed. When the earth shakes by such a huge force you wouldn't expect it to break, but things sometimes do fall from their normal position. It may even lead to floods because of the shaking. If the earthquake is intense enough then the buildings may collapse and create a large amount of dust and dust. This, combined with other factors such as tsunamis, can cause massive damage. An earthquake will devastate Turkey, especially affecting a part called Kavşiç.

In 2018, some reports say that this year’s Turkish earthquake was one of the worst ever in terms of impact and damage to property. On 14 December, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit eastern Turkey around Yalova-Boden, killing more than 30 people. According to preliminary estimates, 3,000 died, including 4,300 children, and 10,000 homes were damaged, according to local media reports. As of late February, the death toll rose further due to medical treatment in hospitals. Turkey’s military governor, Gen. Hulusi Akar, said during the emergency session of lawmakers that hundreds of people were trapped inside two collapsed districts, as reported by CNN.

Is Turkey safe from earthquakes?

According to recent data from the World Bank Group, Turkey is ranked among the top ten countries where people face the greatest risk of being affected by earthquakes. Some areas are prone to earthquakes, such as central Anatolia/Kurdistan, southern Turkey, the northern Mediterranean coast, near Aegean, south-eastern Turkey, western Asia, and southeast Europe. The main reason why all earthquakes occur in Turkey is partly that Turkey is a mountainous place, so the land is prone to earthquakes. Another reason is that Turkey has a history of earthquakes, so they have learned how to deal with them, therefore they are not exposed to them. They have lots of infrastructure and many buildings are built strong in the past.

Many scientists say that no known disasters could cause severe consequences due to human activities. Unfortunately, some disasters happen naturally, such as wildfires and heavy rains, which also have similar characteristics as those experienced due to human interference. These natural disasters are usually caused by meteorological phenomena that are beyond the control of countries. Such events include volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and droughts. A strong earthquake also produces waves that travel along the surface of the earth, which causes tsunamis. Scientists believe that these natural disasters may lead to catastrophes in their own countries. Also, it is crucial to understand that these natural accidents are beyond human control, but governments should be aware and prepared to prevent the occurrence of such hazardous and dangerous natural disasters. Therefore governments need to make changes for the safety and protection of citizens, and natural hazard monitoring and research.

                                   

What's next for earthquake response in Turkey?

Turkey has already suffered economic losses, as shown in Figure 1, after the earthquake. Many parts of Turkey will be badly affected as well. However, this does not mean that it cannot handle another type of tragedy. The President of the General Staff, Suleiman Soylu, said on July 3 that if necessary, he will open fire on airfields to protect lives and equipment against earthquakes, fires, storms, and flooding. This is an important step to ensure Turkey can deal with the upcoming crisis. 

Turkey is one of the countries in the world where earthquakes have a major impact on infrastructure — especially roads and airports. For example, Istanbul Airport suffered significant damage, and it may take more than 2 weeks for road repairs to begin after a tremor (and if you are going to fly into Izmir for the weekend, just ask your luggage handlers how long they expect the airport to be closed). So your tour agency needs details on how long your hotel, flights/tour, transfers, and other arrangements may be delayed, and what measures you can take to prevent this delay and avoid additional costs.