Coping with Disaster: Turkey`s Response to Kahramanmaras Earthquake

Case Code: OPER163
Case Length: 13 Pages
Period: 2023
Pub Date: 2024
Teaching Note: Available

Price: Rs.400
Organization :
Industry :
Countries : Turkey
Themes: Disaster Management, Disaster Recovery Planning

Abstract Case Intro 1 Case Intro 2 Excerpts

Excerpts

Disaster Preparedness

In the aftermath of the Erzincan earthquake which killed 33,000 people and injured 100,000 others in 1939, Turkey felt the need to put a disaster preparedness policy in place. In the 1960s, the Turkish Parliament passed a law which listed the precautions to be taken before the occurrence of any disaster which would affect the public, in addition to showing how assistance could be provided during a crisis. In continuance of the Turkish government’s legislative effort on disaster, a by-law on the principles of the Organization and Planning of Emergency Assistance Regarding Disasters was passed in 1988..

The 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake

On February 6, 2023, an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 occurred in 11 provinces of Turkey. Nine hours later, another earthquake with magnitude 7.6 hit the country. The earthquakes damaged the airports in Kahramanmaras, Hatay, and Gaziantep provinces of Turkey and was one of the ten most intense earthquakes in the world (See Exhibit III for the world’s ten most intense earthquakes)..

The Aftermath

In 2018, the Turkish regulations were updated. Under the updated regulations, the concrete used had to be of high quality and had to be strengthened with ribbed bars made of steel. Vertical columns and horizontal beams had to have the ability to absorb the tremors. According to earthquake engineering specialist Mustafa Erdik (Erdik), these regulations were, however, not followed and hence, the floors of many buildings toppled over and collapsed after the earthquakes. This led to a huge number of people dying or getting severely injured. Voicing a similar opinion, North Carolina State University professor Ashly Cabas said, “More information is required to fully understand the role of the quality of the building stock on the damage observed in Turkey and Syria; for example, old structures lacking the necessary retrofit measures to comply with current building codes, or new buildings lacking the appropriate construction practices or compliance with the building code.”.

Rescue and Relief Operations

After the earthquake, the Turkish government embarked on the gigantic task of carrying out rescue and relief operations in the affected provinces. The government coordinated with the AFAD and the Turkish Red Crescent for the relief operations. International NGOs and local NGOs also formed a huge part of the disaster response. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Erdogan) declared an emergency in 10 provinces of the country for three months. Governments worldwide also responded by providing international assistance in the form of rescue teams and aid..

Restoration Efforts

As of August 4, 2023, the UN agencies had covered more than 6 million people across the earthquake affected zones through their recovery efforts and provision of humanitarian needs. The recovery efforts included providing food assistance, container houses, hygiene kits, and school supplies, empowering women, etc. In addition to this, the UN agencies provided seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, animal feed, and agricultural equipment to farmers who had lost their livelihoods because of the disaster..

Poor disaster response?

The Turkish government, was however, criticized in several quarters for its disaster responsiveness. There were reports of the military forces not being sent to the affected areas, leaving people with no help. The residents complained that they could not contact the AFAD for search, rescue, and relief efforts. The Turkey’s military and intelligence had several resources such as advanced equipment including electronic surveillance, drones, heavy transport and communication equipment, and human intelligence networks. However, all these were not effectively utilized during the disaster. The mobile operators also could not ensure uninterrupted access to communication and the Internet after the earthquake, which led to the hampering of the rescue and relief efforts..

Looking Ahead

In March 2023, the UNDP estimated that the earthquakes had caused economic damage of US$103.6 billion. According to UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton (Vinton), “The scope of the destruction is unprecedented. This is why we expect equally unprecedented commitments from global donors.”.

Exhibits

Exhibit I: Tectonic Plates and Turkey
Exhibit II: Earthquakes in Turkey (2012 to 2023)
Exhibit III: Ten Most Intense Earthquakes in the World
Exhibit IV: Relief from Other Countries

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