ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – August 2011
17 AUGUST 2011 - WHAT DOES IT REMIND YOU OF?
Some things are unforgettable; no matter how much you try, you cannot erase them from your memory. A word, a name, a song, a photo, a line in the newspaper, a news report on television can take you back in time. You relive that moment and the pain. Time may have softened the blow, but the ache in the heart remains. The cries, the deep sobs have been replaced by a few silent tears. These tears are ours to share.
Exactly 12 years ago, on August 17th (1999), an earthquake struck, and it affected all of Turkey. Thousands of people lost their lives in this earthquake, and the bodies of the deceased were spread across all provinces. Turkey has not forgotten, and it must never forget!
Today, I call on you to join the grieving hearts of those who lost loved ones, or even their entire families, in that disaster. To share their pain does not only mean praying for them or feeling sad for them. To share their pain means to take precautions before the earthquake, to make buildings safe and livable, and I believe everyone has a role to play in this.
We do not want to experience what we went through on August 17th again. But do we really remember what happened? Let’s refresh our memories by looking at the newspaper headlines from those days. The intense emotions of the news from that time may hopefully bring us back to reality. The headlines and the news are shared just as they were, without any interpretation.
I also present these newspaper headlines as an answer to the question: What is the earthquake resistance of our existing building stock?
HÜRRİYET NEWSPAPER
Date: 17.08.1999
Headline: EARTHQUAKE
The earthquake, with its epicenter in İzmit, caused 32 deaths and 500 injuries in Istanbul, Eskişehir, and Bursa, according to initial reports. A fire broke out at the Tüpraş İzmit Refinery at around 03:00. The fire was fought by military units from the Naval Command, fire-fighting teams from the Ministry of Forestry, and helicopters. The Mudanya "Denizatı" entertainment center collapsed. Initial reports indicate that 20 people died and 200 were injured in Bursa; 2 died and 80 were injured in Eskişehir; 10 died and 250 were injured in Istanbul. Communication with Kocaeli has not been established, and significant damage was recorded in 5 neighborhoods in Sakarya. Meanwhile, civilian defense teams from Ankara were sent to Kocaeli and Sakarya.
Date: 18.08.1999
Headline: WE ARE CRYING
The 7+ magnitude earthquake lasted 45 seconds and devastated Turkey. As of 14:30, the toll was 3,479 dead and 16,782 injured. The earthquake, with its epicenter in Kocaeli, caused the most damage in İzmit and Adapazarı. Yalova and Gölcük were completely destroyed. In Istanbul, millions took to the streets, and Avcılar suffered severe damage.
Date: 19.08.1999
Headline: SKATING RINK MORGUE
In İzmit, the city hardest hit by the earthquake, the corpses pulled from the rubble were hard to preserve in the hot weather, and thus the Büyükşehir Belediyesi's Olympic Ice Skating Arena was converted into a morgue.
SABAH NEWSPAPER
Date: 17.08.1999
Headline: EARTHQUAKE
The 6.7 magnitude earthquake, with its epicenter in İzmit, shook Turkey for 45 seconds.
Date: 18.08.1999
Headline: AT LEAST 2500 DEAD
After the main shock, 300 aftershocks occurred, making it one of the biggest disasters in Turkey's history. These "aftershocks" continued for three days. The latest count of deaths: Istanbul 218, İzmit 480, Yalova 220, Sakarya 150, Bolu 134, Bursa 19, Eskişehir 50, Zonguldak 1. Total: 1,272 deaths.
Date: 19.08.1999
Headline: DESPAIR
The death toll continues to rise rapidly. Bodies cannot be removed. Finally, İzmit’s large ice skating rink was turned into a morgue. Even the iceboxes are full.
ZAMAN NEWSPAPER
Date: 18.08.1999
Headline: NIGHT DISASTER, DAY DESPAIR: 1200 DEAD, 5550 INJURED
Turkey woke up to a massive tremor that night. This earthquake was longer and affected a wider area than previous ones. The epicenter of the earthquake was in İzmit and Gölcük, and it hit Istanbul, Sakarya, and Yalova, among others.
Date: 19.08.1999
Headline: EARTHQUAKE EQUIVALENT TO 400 ATOMIC BOMBS
As the earthquake that hit the Marmara region was closely followed by the international community, U.S. experts noted that the earthquake’s impact was equivalent to 400 atomic bombs.
Date: 20.08.1999
Headline: WHAT DID TURKEY NEGLECT? HUGE NEGLIGENCE!
While we experienced one of the biggest disasters of the century, could the immense loss of life have been prevented? If the Turkish government had not neglected the following duties, the answer would have been yes:
- Turkey had no early warning system for earthquakes: The first hours after an earthquake are crucial for rescue operations, yet precious time was wasted. Communication between the Prime Minister, ministers, and Ankara was handled by radio operators and television channels. An early warning system and a technical training project must be implemented immediately.
- The General Staff was not utilized in time: The Turkish Armed Forces' emergency communication system, TAFICS, should have been used. This would have allowed for better damage assessment and quicker deployment of supplies.
- Lack of trained Civil Defense teams: Despite a population of 65 million, only 150 personnel were trained in the Civil Defense Directorate.
- Inadequate use of air transportation: Air transport, both military and civilian, should have been used immediately for rescuing victims and evacuating the injured.
- Seismic experts' warnings were ignored: In May 1991, the Chamber of Civil Engineers held a conference warning that the year 2000 was the most likely for a major earthquake. The warnings of many scientists were ignored.
- Why didn’t we have trained rescue dogs? Despite the tremendous efforts of rescue teams such as AKUT and mountaineering teams, the lack of specialized equipment hampered their efforts. Rescue dogs from foreign teams helped save many lives even in the second and third days.
- The Earthquake Fund was almost empty: The disaster fund created by law 27 years ago had only one million lira in it. The Ministry of Finance had transferred one million lira every year as a symbolic gesture. However, the fund managed by the Ministry of Public Works had 3 trillion lira in it.
This tragic event serves as a painful reminder that the lessons learned from it must not be forgotten, and concrete steps must be taken to ensure that we are better prepared for future disasters.