Thousands still struggling following earthquake in Turkey

Posted March 6, 2023

By Kim Phan

Opinions Editor

While the rest of the world moves on with their daily routines and steps toward the future, Turkey and Syria are still struggling with the aftermath of a natural disaster. This is still affecting millions of their homes today even if the effects aren’t seen firsthand in the United States. Aftershock tremors have hit the country as recently as yesterday only weeks after the initial disastrous quake.

Some parts of Southern Turkey and Northern Syria were among the areas affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Feb. 6. Although it’s been three weeks, the effects of the high magnitude unexpected disaster have displaced and killed more than thousands of civilians in those areas. Strong aftershocks are expected to hit after such a high-magnitude earthquake. Putting it into technical numbers really describe the real surmounting pressure of the situation, as more than 10,000 aftershocks have hit the region since Feb. 6. The number seems overwhelming only given the statistics so it’s highly unimaginable what the destruction has done to the country. 

Over 1.25 million people have been left temporarily homeless as estimated by The World Bank. The World Bank went on to say further that the recovery and reconstruction cost could be potentially twice as large ($34.2 billion) in direct damages. Losses could have been even more extra as GDP losses could even add to the cost. While it’s highly important to emphasize the support for the individuals impacted in those areas. It has also prompted authorities to take action and reflect on how any possible future earthquakes may affect the region, especially in one that is so densely populated in what is deemed the northwestern industrial heartland. There are future concerns of other earthquakes that might arise and destroy cities and displace millions. The most important thing to note about Turkey’s geographic location is that it lies near fault lines that criss-cross the country. Only one earthquake with such a huge magnitude has caused about $34 billion in damages. So, we can only imagine how much damage could be done when there will inevitably be smaller aftershocks. It would no doubt lead to billions of dollars in damage as it may occur in such a magnitude over an industrial center. This and future occurrences should be looked upon as a concern and the state should view this as a national security problem and prepare to set aside resources.

“We need a mobilization by all the state institutions…and have to transform policies and do this within the next 5-6 years,” stated Bugra Gokce, deputy secretary-general of the opposition-run istanbul municipality.

The earthquake-affected Marmara area of Turkey, which is home to more than 25 million people and will, as of 2021, accounts for more than 40% of the nation's gross domestic product, would further damage the international economy of the country. hiWch, beyond the trauma to the people caused by the accident, will have a significant impact on how the nation develops in the future.

Rapid urbanization is one of the coming concerns that need to be addressed in the future as Istanbul may be hit with more earthquakes in the future. When a tragedy occurs all at once in such a highly developed location with all the facilities, a sizable portion of Turkey's population may be left unprotected.

Although they are located thousands of miles away, earthquakes in Turkey and along the numerous active fault lines might have an impact on both the local population and the rest of the world. There are numerous factories in Turkey that produce products including cement, textiles, automobile parts, and oil. It serves as a transit route, which increases the possibility of commercial and passenger ports like those on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean being paused.

There are numerous worries that the delivery of essential humanitarian aid to the affected area has been delayed by the resources and donations that have been sent in from elsewhere. Beyond the people who survived the earthquake in near-death condition, there are ongoing complaints about how the government has handled the aftermath. Since the earthquake, the government has continued to persecute religious and racial minorities, and persecution of Syrian refugees has not stopped. Twitter and other social media platforms that call for rescue operations and aid have been prohibited. Attempting to provide assistance and support to their neighbors who were in need, as well as speaking out against the state's injustices and corruption, it appears that residents are powerless to do any of these things.

The nation, which is located close to fault lines, has been worried about preparing for potentially fatal earthquakes in the near future. If there isn't a massive mobilization effort, the consequences might be quite damaging. The government has implemented a "zoning zone amnesty" across Turkey to allow unregistered construction activities, which could potentially throw the zoning plan into high-risk mode. Readers can infer from this statement alone how dangerous it might be for buildings that don't adhere to proper safety regulations to be affected by earthquakes. This not only puts human life in jeopardy but also wastes readily available resources.