Three weeks after a massive 7.8 earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, at least 48,000 people have died and millions are homeless. Two days after the earthquake struck, Turkish President Erdoğan visited one of the worst affected areas and declared that it was “not possible to be prepared for such a disaster.” As someone who has had some experience researching and working with communities who have experienced disaster events, I call BS.
While it is extremely difficult to predict when an earthquake will strike, we know that this region of the world is prone to earthquakes as documented in historical and archeological records. “Early historian Cassius Dio described the devastation and loss of life from a catastrophic earthquake that ravaged the city of Antakya in 115 BC. In Roman History he wrote, “the whole earth was upheaved and buildings leaped into the air.” Early Christian historian John Malalas survived another devastating earthquake in the city in 526 BC. He described in his work, Chronicle, the terrible fire that compounded the unfathomable destruction after “the surface of the earth boiled up and … everything fell to the ground.”
Thus, the current president of Turkey’s claims that there was no way to prepare for the disaster is, in my opinion, a political statement – one that reflects the political choices that were made rather than the science.
In 2006 environmental geographer Niel Smith wrote, “there is no such thing as a natural disaster. In every phase and aspect of a disaster—causes, vulnerability, preparedness, results and response, and reconstruction—the contours of disaster and the difference between who lives and who dies is to a greater or lesser extent a social calculus… This is not simply an academic point but a practical one, and it has everything to do with how societies prepare for and absorb natural events and how they can or should reconstruct afterward.”
Communities that are already bearing the brunt of climate change will become increasingly marginalized unless we address the reality that sociopolitical structures in place the world over are not equitable. The most recent earthquake hit both Turkey and Syria, but the Syrian people are much more vulnerable as they have been at war with the Assad regime since March 15, 2011. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed and nearly thirteen million people—more than half the country’s prewar population—have been displaced. The lack of political, physical, economic, and social stability is sure to hinder the recovery of those Syrians who suffered in the earthquake, differently from their Turkish counterparts.
Louise Comfort, Professor of Public and International Affairs, and former Director of the Center for Disaster Management, at the University of Pittsburgh writes that “After the devastating 1999 earthquakes in the Marmara region of northwestern Turkey – in which more than 17,000 died – the Turkish government instituted a major program of recovery and rebuilding intended to strengthen building codes and improve cross-jurisdictional coordination…and yet this ambitious program was hampered by chronic corruption and weak implementation of the building codes.”
Turkey has designed and approved building codes that are the equivalent of the rigorous codes implemented in seismically challenged areas of California. There is an abundance of highly trained civil engineers in Turkey who have the knowledge and skills to construct buildings, roads, and dams that may be breached during future earthquakes. As I watched the horrifying footage of buildings tumbling like dominos, it is clear that the government allowed builders to skirt earthquake resilience construction regulations, thereby resulting in increased death and injury that may have been avoidable.
While Turkey and Syria may be a world away, there are still opportunities to help. My colleague and friends Dr. Feridan Tasdan and his wife Muruvvet are originally from Turkey. They have organized a GoFundMe page to raise funds to distribute aid directly to those in need. All funds that are donated will be transparently transferred toAhbap Platform, a respected non-governmental organization in Turkey, which is working in the affected region to provide shelter, clothes and food. I’ve included the link if you are so inclined. https://gofund.me/83384486.
As Frank Clark wrote, “Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.”
Heather McIlvaine-Newsad is a professor of Anthropology at Western Illinois University.
The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the university or Tri States Public Radio.
Diverse viewpoints are welcomed and encouraged.