One year after the 7.8-magnitude catastrophic earthquake in Turkey-Syria

One year after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck on February 6th, Turkey struggles with the aftermath in its most severely affected areas where residents mourn lost loved ones and try to rebuild their livelihoods. A crucial problem is excess unemployment, which affects nearly a quarter of families in the impacted area, according to the Red Cross.

Following the earthquake which claimed over 50,000 lives in Turkey and at least 6,000 in northern Syria, efforts to rebuild the damaged areas are underway. The Turkish government is rapidly constructing over 300,000 homes for displaced families, many of whom currently live in temporary shelters made from shipping containers.

In the wake of the quake, experts attributed the high casualty and destruction rates to lax enforcement of building codes in a country situated atop two major geological fault lines. Furthermore, experts warn against repeating past mistakes by rapidly reconstructing without first updating building standards. The latter will potentially leave people vulnerable to future disasters. In this direction, Mustafa Ozcelik, head of a trade group for engineers and architects in Hatay province, emphasizes the need for revised codes but acknowledges the challenges in executing them promptly.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has committed to deliver approximately 319,000 new homes by next month, ahead of crucial local elections in March. Government officials claim that the new homes that are under construction are designed to withstand powerful earthquakes, emphasizing meticulous site selection and engineering standards. Osman Alan, a civil engineer overseeing home construction in Gulderen, affirms the resilience of homes built by the government agency, mentioning their behavior during last year’s earthquake.