Turkiye sits atop the Anatolian plate, sandwiched between two

major faults: the East Anatolian fault and the North Anatolian
fault. The Eastern fault is where the Arabian plate — carrying Syria
along with the rest of Arabia — collides with the Anatolian plate,
with the effect of Turkiye being pushed westwards at the rate of
about two centimetres a year. This means that Turkiye and Syria,
already prone to earthquakes, may find themselves facing more
such catastrophes in the future.

Also, given that precise earthquake prediction remains an inexact science, the
only real way forward is to try and reduce or otherwise mitigate the damage
done by such natural disasters; the scale of the current quake is such that
avoiding mass death destruction was, of course, impossible, but as details
emerge, it is increasingly becoming clear that negligence and violation of
building codes have played a major role in exacerbating the disaster.

The last major earthquake to strike Turkiye was in Izmit in 1999, claiming
17,000 lives. Soon after, public anger was directed at prominent businessmen
and builders such as Metin Kocal in the resort city of Yalova, many of whose
luxury six-storey apartment buildings collapsed like a house of cards, killing
dozens of people. Metin and other builders were accused of profiteering by
ignoring building codes and regulations in order to maximise their profit
margins and when rescuers combed through the ruins, they found cement
debris “filled with so much sand it crumbled in their fingers”, and steel rods
far thinner than what was required by law. The local governor argued that the
magnitude of the quake was such that even up-to-code buildings would have
fallen, but the fact was that buildings adjacent to the sub-par ones remained
standing.

Building contractors were denounced from mosque pulpits, pilloried in the

media and threatened with criminal prosecution by the government, all of
which led to a revamping of building codes across Turkiye. On paper, all was
well but in reality, the situation was very different. When asked what role
shoddy construction played in amplifying the damage and loss of life in the
2023 quake, Turkish journalist Ragip Soylu said that the “vast majority” of
buildings were not within “set standards” for safe construction.

Bad construction had a role in the devastation.

A scene similar to what happened in Yalova in 1999 unfolded in the city of

Hatay after the current earthquake, where the luxury Renaissance Residence,
billed as “a corner in paradise”, completely collapsed while nearby buildings
remained standing. The contractor was later arrested from Istanbul airport
while trying to flee to Montenegro.

One reason for this are the successive amnesties extended to buildings that
were not built up-to-code, which essentially offered exemptions and clearance
certificates in return for fines and payments. The revenue from these was
considerable, and a new amnesty scheme was pending approval just a few days
before the earthquake stuck. Turkiye has passed 19 such zoning amnesty laws
since 1948 and the ruling AKP party has in the past rejected 58 motions by
opposition politicians asking for independent oversight of building safety.

What role did amnesties play? Turkish engineer Pelin Giritliogu said that in
the southern earthquake zone alone, there were over 75,000 buildings that
had availed the construction amnesties. Once the rescue efforts wind down,
investigations will reveal how many of these buildings actually survived, as
compared with the few buildings that were built according to code. One
example of such a building was found in the city of Kahramanmaras, where
the sole building left erect was the Chamber of Civil Engineers, standing tall
amid a devastated city.

Disturbingly, many new buildings that were ‘officially’ constructed as per code
— the 2018 regulations stipulated the use of high-quality concrete reinforced
with steel bars and strengthened by distributed columns and beams — also
collapsed. Apartment buildings that were advertised as being “completed in
compliance with the latest earthquake regulations”, crumbled to dust. Here
the role of corrupt officials who approved such construction is being
questioned.

As the shock fades, anger is growing in Turkiye, as are calls for action: over
170 lawyers from across Turkiye have now filed a joint criminal complaint
against contractors who built the collapsed buildings and have demanded that
they be placed on Turkiye’s equivalent of the Exit Control List. Along with this,
they have also demanded that public officials be put on trial for allowing
buildings to be constructed in violation of rules.

What has happened in Turkiye is a natural disaster almost certainly

exacerbated by human greed and neglect. Here are lessons not just for
Turkiye, but also for Pakistan, which is an earthquake-prone country as well.
And we know very well what our own standards are like.