ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – April 2011
WHAT WOULD MIMAR SINAN SAY IF HE WERE HERE TODAY?
On April 12th, the Mimar Sinan Research Center held its third series conference titled "According to Sources, Sinan." The conference focused on Mimar Sinan and his works. As I read through the presentations about Mimar Sinan, I couldn't help but reflect on the technology and resources he had at his disposal, and how we compare it to the present day. The Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, a prestigious structure, took around 6 years to complete and has stood majestically for almost 550 years.
When I think of our current situation, our prestige is precariously tied to buildings with insufficient earthquake resistance. The recent earthquakes have once again shown how vulnerable our buildings are to seismic activity. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to prevent this tragic reality, and it has made me ask myself the question: What would Mimar Sinan say if he were alive today?
- On the establishment of rules that are not followed.
- On zoning amnesties and the invention of loopholes in the name of earthquake risk mitigation.
- On construction projects getting approval after completion instead of during the design phase.
- On the future of a country depending on the efforts of just a few individuals and professionals.
- On the unnecessary cutting of door and window openings in reinforced concrete walls.
- On the lack of drainage systems on our roads.
- On roads turning into rivers with even light rain.
- On buildings collapsing for no apparent reason even without an earthquake.
- On words that serve our interests being more credible than the truth.
- On our tendency to concentrate everything in Istanbul rather than strengthening the country by creating powerful provinces.
- On the fact that decisions are made by the powerful, not through consultation.
AKUT’s 15th Anniversary Remarks
The statements made by AKUT's (Search and Rescue Association) president, Nasuh Mahruki, on the occasion of their 15th anniversary contained many points worth noting. I particularly want to highlight the slogan on AKUT’s website, which I find very meaningful: "The homeland is loved through action, not words." Here is a verbatim excerpt from an interview Nasuh Mahruki gave to a newspaper:
"Turkey has not learned from the earthquake"
- Did AKUT send a team to Japan? What did they report?
"Yes, we constantly communicate. The disaster was immense. Think about it, we didn’t experience something like that on August 17th. This wasn’t just an earthquake; it was a tsunami. As we saw in the footage, the waves devastated everything, turning infrastructure upside down. AKUT and Kızılay sent three observers. Our team was ready, but Japan didn’t request our help, so we didn’t send anyone." - What would happen if a similar disaster occurred in Istanbul?
"We need to underline that the destruction in Japan was not caused by the earthquake, but by the tsunami. It’s been 12 years since the earthquake in Turkey, and unfortunately, we have not learned our lesson. Let's be clear: Turkey is not Japan. We need to reduce Istanbul’s population. It’s impossible to assist such a large population in case of a disaster. Why do industrial plants still exist in Istanbul? We need to increase employment opportunities in Anatolia. Migration must be stopped and reversed. Kazakhstan managed to relocate its capital; we can do it too." - What differences exist between the approach to disasters in Japan and Turkey? What can we learn from Japan?
"They are very good at it—their infrastructure, their informed citizens, their search-and-rescue teams, and their national preparedness for emergencies. But this scale of tsunami was also unexpected for them. What we can learn from them is how they maintain social order, preserve public trust in the government, avoid secondary disasters, and focus on solving the immediate problem." - The 17 August earthquake was just 12 years ago. We fear earthquakes, but we are doing nothing. If you build a solid building, there’s no reason to be afraid. If you’re still afraid, then you need to take action. If you’re only afraid and do nothing, that means you’re doing something wrong. We need to take the necessary precautions for what we fear, which means constructing solid buildings. And if we are living in a building that’s not solid, we need to get out of that building.
The views of people who have been through many earthquakes align with the topics we continually discuss in our newspaper. The conclusion: Earthquakes can strike at any unexpected moment.
The mentality of "I did it, it’s done" needs to be replaced with a collective approach: "We (together, as a nation) think and do our best." Let’s work together to build a better future.