A recent study conducted by a Turkish professor reveals that nearly 150,000 lives have been lost in earthquakes in Türkiye since 1900.
Professor Mehmet Ali Kaya, head of the Natural Disasters Research Center at Trakya University, highlighted the catastrophic toll of earthquakes during a presentation at the Balkan Congress Center on Tuesday.
“Türkiye is a country prone to earthquakes, which are among the deadliest natural disasters in terms of both human and economic losses,” Kaya said.
According to Kaya, 28 earthquakes with magnitudes above 7.0 have struck Türkiye since 1900, resulting in significant devastation.
He and a doctoral student analyzed data from an international database to assess the human and material losses caused by these events. “Since 1900, we have lost approximately 150,000 people to earthquakes. During the republic era, from 1923 onward, 136,000 lives have been lost due to these disasters,” Kaya explained.
He added that major earthquakes, with magnitudes exceeding 7.0, occur roughly every four to five years in the country. The economic toll of these disasters is estimated at $250 billion. Kaya noted that earthquakes have accounted for 28% of all-natural disasters in Türkiye since 1923, but they are responsible for 95% of total human and economic losses.
“This emphasizes why we must talk about earthquakes extensively and take robust preventive measures,” he said.
Kaya also warned about the potential impact of earthquakes beyond Türkiye’s borders on the border city of Edirne. The region is vulnerable to seismic activity in neighboring Bulgaria and Greece.
“As a center, we study the possible effects of Balkan earthquakes on Edirne and the Thrace region. The fault lines in the Balkans are as significant as those within Türkiye,” Kaya said.
He pointed out that the aerial distance from Edirne to seismic zones in Bulgaria is similar to its distance to Şarköy, a region in northwestern Türkiye affected by fault lines. “This proximity means we are susceptible to earthquakes originating in those areas as well,” he added.
Türkiye is one of the most seismically active regions in the world due to its location at the intersection of several major tectonic plates, including the Eurasian, African and Arabian plates. This geographical positioning makes it highly susceptible to earthquakes, which has led to an increased focus on earthquake preparedness and risk mitigation in recent years.
On Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş were a stark reminder of the catastrophic potential of seismic events, leaving devastating losses in their wake.