ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER –June 2012
THE LAST FORTY DAYS!
- June 19, 2012, Kütahya Simav, earthquake magnitude 4.9
- June 14, 2012, Şırnak Silopi, earthquake magnitude 5.5
- June 10, 2012, Muğla Ölüdeniz offshore, earthquake magnitude 6.1
- June 9, 2012, Muğla Köyceğiz, earthquake magnitude 4.2
- June 8, 2012, Tekirdağ (Marmara), earthquake magnitude 5.1
- May 25, 2012, Malatya Pütürge, earthquake magnitude 4.4
- May 19, 2012, Gökova Bay (Mediterranean), earthquake magnitude 4.6
- May 9, 2012, Kütahya Simav, earthquake magnitude 4.5
- May 2, 2012, İzmir, earthquake magnitude 5.0
The reality of earthquakes, along with the fact that the building stock in our country and my province lacks sufficient earthquake resilience, has been stated numerous times. I believe that a destructive earthquake in any region of Turkey would not be a surprise to anyone.
The earthquakes in various parts of the country in the last forty days clearly show that earthquakes are not a surprise in Turkey.
Unfortunately, the lack of necessary sensitivity in terms of earthquakes and construction is evident after destructive earthquakes. I would like to share a summary of an important study on this topic.
A report titled "Examination of Earthquake Risks for Population and Various Sectors in Turkey" was prepared by the Department of Geophysical Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU). The report highlights the risks Turkey faces with concrete data.
The report states that 45% of Turkey's population of 71,517,100 lives in the first-degree earthquake zone, 26.6% in the second, 14.6% in the third, 12.3% in the fourth, and 1.5% in the fifth-degree earthquake zone. In other words, at least 70% of our population is under heavy risk.
The report also indicates that in the event of an earthquake in Istanbul, the number of fatalities could exceed the total number of doctors in Turkey, and the number of injured could exceed 100,000. The report highlights that "the shortage of health centers and personnel in such a situation would be most acutely felt. Due to these shortages, lives that could be saved might be lost."
The report emphasizes the critical importance of airports in the event of a potential earthquake or other disasters, especially in regions where the sea exit is blocked and road connections are cut off. Airports could be vital centers for receiving personnel, medical supplies, food, and other forms of aid from both domestic and international sources. The report examined the 66 airports in 47 provinces of Turkey, revealing that 27 of them (40.9%) are in the first-degree earthquake zone, 23 in the second, 9 in the third, and 7 in the fourth-degree zone, with no airports in the fifth-degree earthquake zone.
Many of the issues I have previously raised in my column have been analyzed in this report. It appears that in the decisions made about the country's future, we do not give much importance to earthquakes.
I would like to share a final thought that I hope you will carefully consider. To date, approximately 50,000 citizens have lost their lives due to terrorism, and in the last 30 years, according to official figures, approximately 25,000, and according to estimates, approximately 40,000 citizens have lost their lives due to earthquakes. Shouldn't we pay attention to the earthquake risk?