Why Lack of Enforcement in Türkiye Led to Total Devastation During the 2023 Earthquake

02/09/23

“Why did lack of enforcement in Türkiye lead to total devastation during the 2023 earthquake?”

The 2023 earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria has been nothing short of devastating. A region home to over 13 million people has seen countless buildings collapse, historical monuments desecrated, and scores of lives lost. But if you’ve read up on disaster scholarship, then you’ll know that there is no such thing as a natural disaster. So how did things get this way?

In 1999, Türkiye suffered a devastating earthquake centered near the city of İzmit that took the lives of over 20,000 people. This crisis spurred the nation to adopt earthquake building codes on par with California and Japan. However, the government allowed for paid amnesties for construction companies to bypass these earthquake regulations. In 2018, The Turkish Environment and Urbanisation Ministry stated that 50% of buildings in Turkey were constructed in violation of regulations. When the quake struck, even new buildings collapsed along with older ones built on previous regulations. Residents all across Türkiye now see Why Lack of Enforcement in Türkiye Led to Total Devastation During the 2023 Earthquake. Political change is likely to come to this nation that straddles two continents.

With the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, please make a donation to ahbap, the Syrian White Helmets and the Turkish AKUT Search and Rescue Association.