ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – May 2011
IS THERE EARTHQUAKE IN TURKEY?
On the night of May 19, Thursday, at 11:15 PM, an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 occurred in the center of Simav District in Kütahya. After the main shock, 11 aftershocks occurred within the first hour, with magnitudes ranging from 2.3 to 4.8. The earthquake was strongly felt in Kütahya and its districts, and lightly in cities such as Istanbul, Bursa, Çanakkale, Eskişehir, Ankara, and Uşak. Buildings in the districts of Demirci, Emet, Şaphane, and Pazarlar suffered damage.
An earthquake in any region of Turkey is never a surprise, and neither was the earthquake in Kütahya. The last damaging earthquake in this region was on February 17, 2009 (magnitude 4.8). Looking at historical earthquakes in the Kütahya area, significant ones include the 1928 Emet Earthquake (magnitude 6.2), the 1944 Şaphane Earthquake (magnitude 6.2), the 1970 Gediz Earthquake (magnitude 7.2), and the 1970 Çavdarhisar Earthquake (magnitude 5.9). These earthquakes caused serious damage, and it is normal for earthquakes of this kind to occur along these faults.
According to Turkey's Earthquake Zones Map, Kütahya, like Elazığ, is in the 1st and 2nd Degree Earthquake Zones. This means that severe and very severe earthquakes can occur in these regions, and buildings in this area may suffer significant damage.
While it is somewhat relieving that there were no fatalities due to collapsing buildings in Kütahya, the condition of the buildings will still affect our future. It is impossible to inspect all the structures in the region and nearby areas within just 4-5 days, but even the inspected buildings clearly reflect the situation we are facing.
As of May 22, 2011, the damage assessment committees reported that 2,138 residences were examined. Of these, 547 were deemed "sound," 792 were "damaged and uninhabitable," 785 were "damaged but habitable," 14 were "collapsed," and 53 required "immediate evacuation."
The financial consequence of the earthquake can be summarized as the destruction of thousands of buildings. But the true impact lies in what will follow. Thousands of damaged and destroyed buildings equate to billions of Turkish Liras. While the government will undoubtedly address these damages, the funds that should have been used for investments or paying off debts will now have to be redirected to this unavoidable necessity.
The issue is: how can we remove this recurring nightmare from our lives, which we have to watch every few years? The answer is clear: 1) Renew the current stock of buildings with insufficient earthquake resistance through national strategies, 2) Ensure that newly built buildings, even though they seem to be monitored, are actually constructed to be earthquake-resistant.
Earthquake preparedness is a national issue in Turkey that concerns everyone, from seven to seventy. Beyond its financial consequences, it brings significant burdens in terms of social, psychological, and emotional impacts. Today, nearly 2,000 students in Simav will take the University Entrance Exam (LYS) and Level Determination Exam (SBS). We will soon see on television how these children’s psychological states have been affected. Thousands of families have lost their homes, and relocating them to new places will, at best, take months. We’ve all seen the difficulties faced by people placed in temporary housing during previous earthquakes.
For Turkey to minimize the impact of earthquakes, it is necessary to prepare urban and rural renewal projects. These renewal projects should be carried out collaboratively with all relevant institutions and organizations, free from political gain, and must be implemented quickly under a national strategy.
Let’s once again remember our slogan regarding earthquakes: “In societies with a high level of civilization, focused on the future with goals and large projects, the safest places during an earthquake are their own homes.”