By Janet Ekstract ISTANBIUL – On Tuesday February 6, Turkiye mourned the massive loss of friends, relatives and neighbors in 2023 on the same date when multiple major earthquakes hit eastern Turkiye. After a moment of silence at 4:17 a.m. – the time the earthquake struck a year ago, to date, carnations were tossed into the river as a symbol of remembrance with a local orchestra playing a song to honor the victims. Dubbed by the Turkish government as the “Disaster of the Century,” a series of events was arranged by the government to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the devastation. In Antakya, the capital of Hatay’s southern province, anger in the massive crowd was palpable as Turkiye’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca was booed and crowds demanded Mayor Lutfu Savas resign. Many people in the region feel the government failed them in their time of need. A year ago, during the quake rescues, a number of residents were interviewed by various media outlets, expressing their shock that they were “abandoned” and one woman who spoke to the press said that no one came during the year and that now the officials just arrived for a ceremony.
As the Economist wrote in an article from 2023, the business of rebuilding after a quake is no easy feat though the Turkish government assured every citizen in the quake-hit region who lost their homes, that they would be rebuilt. The issue that lingers for many in that region is the realization based on evidence that a number of builders cut corners and did not build to earthquake-proof standards. For its part, the Turkish government has made it clear that it’s bringing those guilty to justice and a number of investigations were opened since the earthquakes hit. Nevertheless, not everyone feels the government has done its part to satisfy those who lost loved ones, homes, their livelihoods. Couple that with the fact that the air quality in the Hatay region has been declared dangerous due to particulates from the building rubble which contain cancer-causing substances.
The province of Hatay was the worst hit of the 11 southern provinces which were all severely damaged by twin quakes on February 6, 2023, and is situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the Syrian border. In Syria, at least 6,000 people were killed by the quake while in Turkiye over 60,000 perished and the number is suspected to have been over 100,000 people. Turkish Pesident Erdogan is scheduled to be in Kharamanmaras, the quake’s epicenter – to inspect the rebuilding and rehousing process. Meanwhile, thousands of people still remain in prefabricated containers and tents, one year on. He will also participate in handing over completed homes to survivors and spend the rest of the week touring the other earthquake zones. Erdogan commented on social media: Thank God, our nation has successfully passed this painful and historical test.” He added that the tragic loss “continues to burn our hearts as fresh as the first day.”
