It was a year ago today when news of an earthquake in the eastern regions of Turkey reached us. Little did we realize on that day that this earthquake would be the most significant and destructive in the past hundred years.
After the information became clear, we realized a major catastrophe had befallen us. Two separate earthquakes of 7.7 magnitude on the Richter scale struck 11 provinces in an area the size of the Balkans, and we immediately went to the earthquake zone.
A Child Raised amidst Earthquakes
I grew up in a city prone to earthquakes. The city of Sakarya lies on a fault line that has witnessed devastating earthquakes. In my childhood, we always heard terrifying stories of the major earthquake that occurred in 1968. Then I personally witnessed the devastating tremor in 1999.
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit our city, causing immense destruction. Our loved ones, relatives, and neighbors were buried under the rubble. The streets, houses, and schools that hold our memories were completely destroyed, and we lost about 18,000 people in 1999.
When I visited the cities during the 2023 earthquake, I realized that we had experienced a larger and more destructive earthquake than before.
Erased Cities
Eleven provinces were affected by the earthquake, but five cities suffered immense destruction. We began touring them one by one.
Hatay, Adiyaman, Kahramanmaras, Malatya, Gaziantep… this vast geographical area, housing around 13 million inhabitants, made it impossible to meet all the needs of the search and rescue efforts.
The cries of people trapped under the rubble, waiting to be rescued, never left our ears. We were carrying out our journalistic duties in despair, trying to help at the same time.
The winter was extremely harsh and cold that night. People from all over Turkey rushed to help, but it was not enough. The damage was so extensive that some neighborhoods were completely destroyed, making them inaccessible. Some areas of these cities have now vanished from the map.
A Remarkable Display of Solidarity
Government institutions were unable to cope with a disaster of this magnitude. Therefore, everyone in the country rallied to offer assistance. Businesses sent cranes, excavators, generators, machinery, clothing, and food to the region.
Moreover, the aid did not only come from Turkey but from many countries worldwide. Our biggest problem was the lack of search and rescue teams. Then the need for tents and containers for shelter arose.
During this time, Qatar established a special place in the hearts of the Turkish people thanks to its aid. Due to the tremendous efforts made by His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Nasser bin Jassem Al Thani, the Ambassador of Qatar in Ankara, and His Excellency Dr. Mustafa Koc, the Turkish Ambassador to Doha, 1,000 tons of in-kind aid and $56 million in cash aid were sent to Turkey.
The stories of solidarity I witnessed in the cities cannot be forgotten. People united like never before, and no politics, religion, or ideological differences could break this unity.
We can say that we succeeded in testing solidarity as a nation in this major disaster, but the same cannot be said for the politicians.
Devastating Toll
It took us a long time to determine the number of casualties, the injured, and the extent of the destroyed buildings. Government institutions also took 15 days to return to full capacity.
However, when we looked at the bigger picture, we realized that no country in the world can handle such a disaster alone. The toll was as follows:
- 57,000 people lost their lives.
- 107,000 people were injured.
- 200,000 buildings were significantly affected.
- 38,000 buildings were completely destroyed.
- 13 million people were affected by this earthquake.
- There are still 691,000 people living in containers.
Living with Earthquakes
Turkey is an earthquake-prone country. Major destructive earthquakes have occurred over the centuries. Unfortunately, we did not build our cities accordingly. Most of the buildings that collapsed in the recent earthquake were not constructed according to earthquake-resistant standards.
Our institutions were not prepared for such widespread earthquakes. Now, we must learn from all of this and draw lessons, as we expect another major earthquake in Istanbul.
Most of the city (Istanbul) is filled with non-earthquake-resistant buildings. Perhaps we will undergo the biggest urban transformation in the world in Istanbul.
Accordingly, approximately 1.5 million buildings need urban transformation. Among these buildings, 90,000 need to be demolished and reconstructed immediately. Furthermore, roads, squares, dams, bridges, and tunnels are being reviewed and reinforced.
In short, we must be prepared for new earthquakes without forgetting the day of February 6, 2023.
