Türkiye forges action plan amid Aegean quake swarm
ANKARA
Türkiye takes action in response to the continuous tectonic fluctuations in the Aegean region as the country’s emergency management body devises a strategic contingency plan, while Greece extends school closure as a precaution.
Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) assembled a meeting to forge a road map in the wake of the recent successive tremors on the Aegean island of Santorini.
In addition to AFAD officials, the meeting witnessed the participation of the authorities from the Mineral Research and Exploration General Directorate (MTA), Turkish State Meteorological Service and Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, as well as other expert scientists and researchers.
The meeting particularly focused on the potential risks to the Turkish coastlines from a large earthquake, tsunami or volcanic eruption in the Aegean island of Santorini, with officials revealing a course of action following the assembly.
As a precaution, authorities formed a council, featuring officials from governmental agencies and scientists, in a bid to constantly monitor the events from various perspectives.
They dispatched a mobile siren system to the Aegean cities of İzmir, Aydın and Muğla to alert residents in case of an emergency, such as a tsunami.
To take the warning system one step further, the officials activated an existing system capable of sending SMS messages to residents in the event of an emergency via the news receiving and distribution system.
AFAD directorates in Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Diyarbakır, Sivas and Samsun also sent additional equipment and personnel to the three provinces deemed at risk.
Authorities also integrated the Kandilli Research Institute’s tsunami warning system and AFAD’s disaster management and decision support system, a web-based application named AYDES. In this manner, the imminent tsunami warning will be broadcast immediately to all AYDES subscribers and inhabitants in the region.
In preparation for potential volcanic activity, the weather bureau also created daily reports to assess the distribution and movement direction of volcanic gas and ash in the atmosphere.
More than 800 tremors of magnitude 3 and over have been recorded on the tourist islands of Santorini, Amorgos, Anafi and Ios since Feb. 1, triggering an exodus of most of Santorini's 16,000 residents as well as visitors.
Even though the earthquake activity has somewhat abated, 11 tremors of at least magnitude 4 hit on Feb. 8, prompting the Turkish authorities to swiftly take action.
'Sea recession in Marmara, Aegean no sign of quake'
The sudden recession of the sea in the country’s Marmara and Aegean regions has alarmed residents with fears that it could signal an impending earthquake, while experts confirm that the phenomenon has no links to a possible earthquake.
In Istanbul’s Silivri, the sea retreated by approximately 150 meters, forming small islets, while the withdrawal in the Aegean city of İzmir’s Seferihisar reached 100 meters, leaving boats stranded.
Speaking to the daily Hürriyet, earthquake expert Professor Süleyman Pampal reassured the public concern aroused following the incidents, stating that such events are linked to “atmospheric and meteorological phenomena” rather than earthquake precursors.
He emphasized that Marmara’s fault lines are unlikely to generate significant tsunamis and that these sea recessions are commonly caused by tides, wind and atmospheric pressure changes.
Pampal, therefore, urged against exaggerating the situation, noting that these are natural and recurring atmospheric phenomenon, bearing no relation to earthquakes.
