Gov’t urges immediate transformation of Istanbul buildings after quake
ISTANBUL
The environment minister has issued an appeal for cooperation and mobilization to immediately redevelop 1.5 million structurally vulnerable buildings in Istanbul, emphasizing the urgent need for an urban transformation after the 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit the city.
Istanbul and its neighboring provinces remained on high alert on April 24 amid hundreds of aftershocks following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on April 23, as thousands opted to spend the night outdoors.
While the earthquake did not inflict catastrophic damage, apart from the collapse of an abandoned building in Fatih and minor structural impairments to seven buildings, the seismic event rekindled long-standing public anxiety regarding the city’s pronounced earthquake susceptibility.
“We all know that 1.5 million buildings in Istanbul are at risk and that 30 percent of these pose an immediate threat and must be transformed without delay,” Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum declared during a joint press conference alongside several cabinet members.
Stressing that urban renewal is neither optional nor deferrable, he asserted that Istanbul’s only agenda focus from this moment forward must be earthquake preparedness.
“The current building stock cannot afford even a second of further neglect,” he said.
“To our citizens and to the municipalities charged with direct responsibility for earthquake transformations: Every second counts for Istanbul. Time is running out,” Kurum said.
"Istanbulites expect all of us to put politics and politics aside and focus on this work... The lives and future of 16 million Istanbulites are at stake, there is no room for politics and polemics. There is no politics here," Kurum expressed.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, for his part, noted that emergency shelter was provided for 101,000 residents in Istanbul.
He also urged the public to abstain from entering buildings deemed structurally precarious and to remain vigilant in anticipation of further seismic activity.
Speaking at the same press briefing, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu noted that none of the injured individuals were in critical condition, while 60 people continued to receive medical treatment.
One of the most pressing challenges during the earthquake was the collapse of mobile communication networks, rendering calls virtually impossible for a period.
In response to growing public criticism, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced plans to convene with the country’s three major telecom providers to address the failure.
More than 260 subsequent tremors have shaken the Marmara region within approximately 19 hours of the main seismic event on April 23, the most recent — a 4.1 magnitude — occurring early on April 24, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
In Istanbul, home to over 16 million residents, pervasive anxiety gripped the population throughout the night as aftershocks persisted.
Schools in Istanbul, Tekirdağ, Kocaeli and Yalova suspended classes on April 24 and 25. Authorities also granted leave to public sector employees who are mothers of young children.
To accommodate those hesitant to return to their residences, local municipalities opened schools, gymnasiums and mosques as temporary shelters.
Local media showcased scenes of residents camping in parks or sleeping in their vehicles.
“There’s no visible damage to buildings, but we’re here as a precaution,” said Erdal Doğan, who spent the night in a park in Kağıthane. “If the ground shakes again tomorrow, we’ll come back.”
The Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute at Boğaziçi University released a preliminary assessment, with Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özer noting that while the quake’s magnitude was felt as 8 offshore, 4 to 5 on land.
Seismologists warned that aftershocks might continue, with some potentially reaching magnitudes up to 5.
Divergent opinions have since emerged among experts — some positing that the recent tremor could be a foreshock, accelerating the timeline of the anticipated major quake; others suggesting that it may have partially relieved tectonic pressure, thus reducing the city’s immediate risk.
Türkiye straddles two major fault lines and is no stranger to seismic activity. A devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6, 2023, followed by a powerful aftershock, killed over 53,000 lives in Türkiye and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern cities.
Istanbul was not impacted by that earthquake, but the devastation heightened fears of a similar quake, with experts citing the city’s proximity to fault lines.
