The great earthquake, which affected a region with a total population of about 13.5 million people and caused destruction in neighbouring countries, especially Syria and Iraq, has once again left the masses of people, especially those in this vast region, face to face with the tragedy of life and death. Those who survived the devastation did not die, but they also suffered destruction. When these lines were written, according to official statements, more than 9,000 people had been killed and tens of thousands injured. It is not yet known how many thousands of people remain under the rubble. The economic and socio-psychological devastation has spread to millions of people.
It is a fact that has been proven by numerous devastations, but it has once again imposed itself once again, and in a very severe manner: For decades, scientists have been foretelling the coming earthquake as they had the opportunity and even struggled to overcome the barricades set up in front of them. Geoscientists, Prof. Naci Görür being in the forefront, have listed all the precautions that can and must be taken, with near certainty as to the location and intensity of the earthquake. Nevertheless, no proper precautions were taken against the preventable-reducible effects of the devastation.
In a country which is an earthquake zone of the 1st degree, the administrators of the state government did not act with the responsibility of taking measures to minimise the effects of the earthquakes experienced one after another. The first and compulsory measures such as building technique, selection of shelter areas in cities, construction of houses and buildings in such a way as to minimise the damage against earthquakes and other destructive natural phenomena, and selection of materials for this purpose have not been taken, as well as the second stage measures such as ensuring the fastest transportation in case of destruction caused by an earthquake, keeping debris removal vehicles and teams ready in large numbers and in almost every city, planning land, air and sea transportation with backup lines have not been/are not taken.
It is already known that the buildings that are about to collapse in almost every city, most of which were built 50-60 or more years ago without considering scientific criteria, some of which were sold or rented out by their owners or contractors by covering the rottenness and cracks, will collapse in such earthquakes. However, the state administrators, who levy additional and special taxes on citizens under the name of earthquake tax and confront them with police and gendarmerie batons when they make the smallest protests for their demands, do not take the necessary measures for the construction of strong and durable houses and buildings, nor do they act with the responsibility of developing measures to minimise losses when major destruction events occur. What has been experienced is self-evident: Cries for help are being heard from all the cities where the earthquake caused destruction, especially from Hatay and Adıyaman; news that the immediate and first and most important needs such as debris removal, communication, transportation, water, heating, lighting, shelter, food and clothing are not met or cannot be met, together with live images of people under the rubble, are being broadcast on news channels one after another.
In the hours when the Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati said, "Everything is under control, there is only a problem of spreading false information", when the head of communications announced that they had discovered disinformation in the face of so much destruction and opened a hotline, and when the head of state decided to declare a three-month state of emergency, the cries of "We need urgent help; we are hungry, we are waiting in the cold, there are people inside and under the rubble, but no one has come to help yet" were still rising from almost every city. In a situation where road transport was paralysed, it is incomprehensible why planes could not or could not be dispatched to the nearest airport, for example Adana, and helicopters could not deliver supplies and first aid teams wherever possible. Nor is it explained why the fire at İskenderun harbour was not immediately intervened in and prevented from growing. AFAD administrators emphasised "on the instructions of our President" and declared that they had intervened everywhere, but complaints that aid teams had not arrived, that they were insufficient and that there were no supplies could not be concealed even by pro-government news channels.
Once again, it was seen that for such massive destruction events, measures that can be put into effect immediately and kept ready in advance are needed. When all necessary measures, from construction techniques to infrastructure services, are not taken without delay and in advance, the destructive effect increases, and the measures put into practice in the name of solutions either do not work or do not provide the expected benefit due to delay.
Another important factor that such major destructions show is that one should not act with the understanding of "I want to have a roof over my head, no matter what". The problem of housing is one of the most important problems. However, it is also important that labourers do not accept the makeshift houses that will collapse on them, paying high rents for a significant part of them. The labourers of a country where a minority of a minority of a minority of super-rich people live by accumulating capital and wealth, including housing, land, land, ports, etc., should demand the construction of strong earthquake-resistant houses by taxing the rich more and spending more from the state budget, and they should act with the awareness that it is their right as human beings and citizens to live in such strong houses.
Yes, the widest mobilisation, aid and solidarity, yes, the most self-sacrificing work and efforts to reduce the effects of the devastation are needed. However, the state administration, which has the opportunity to fulfil the most urgent and immediate needs of thousands of tens of thousands of people in all cities where the earthquake has caused destruction, such as shelter, food, drink, heating and lighting, free of charge, must mobilise all means and means in this direction. In order to achieve this, the efforts of all workers, labourers, intellectuals, youth, etc., wherever they live in the country, are needed.
A. Cihan Soylu
Hediye Levent
Yusuf Karadaş