CHP Tekirdag Deputy Dr. İlhami Özcan Aygun, in the parliamentary question he submitted to the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, with the request of the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum, asked whether the earthquake resistance of the schools and whether the schools close to the fault zones were investigated. Aygun said, “The decision to evacuate 93 schools in Istanbul, 8 schools in İzmir, and 5 schools in Tekirdağ is a confession of negligence shown so far. If these schools are risky, why have they been kept open until now? Has the location of schools across Turkey towards fault zones been investigated? asked.
Aygun, in the parliamentary question, said that although Turkey is a country in an earthquake zone in terms of geology, the AKP government has not fulfilled its obligations regarding the strengthening of the existing building stock against earthquakes and the implementation of the legal legislation, especially the Turkish Building Earthquake Regulation and the Building Inspection Implementation Regulation, in new buildings.
Noting that while the legal legislation was not implemented, the future of the country was also mortgaged with the zoning amnesties, Aygun said, “This understanding, which increases the loss of life and property, has left our country helpless in preparing for an earthquake. Earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 in Kahramanmaraş’s Pazarcık District on 6 February 2023, 7.6 in Elbistan, and 6.4 in the Defne District of Hatay on 20 February 2023 with a magnitude of 5.8 in the Samandağ district have revealed that our country is not prepared for an earthquake. .
RAIN OF QUESTIONS FROM AYGUN TO THE MINISTER
Aygun wanted answers to the following questions:
1.) How much of the building stock in Turkey complies with the Turkish Building Earthquake Code and Building Inspection Implementation Code?
2.) Will risky buildings be evacuated?
3.) Have the earthquake resistance of public buildings been investigated and necessary precautions taken? The most strategic buildings of the city were destroyed in Hatay, where the Pazarcık, Elbistan and Defne earthquakes suffered great damage. The entire Antakya State Hospital and Iskenderun State Hospital, a part of the City Hospital, a police house, Iskenderun Port, Hatay Airport, and AFAD building were destroyed. Why hasn’t public buildings been strengthened against earthquakes so far? Why was the newly built Hatay City Hospital not earthquake resistant?
4.) The earthquake resistance of schools and hospitals is very important for the survival of Turkey. Following the Kahramanmaraş, Pazarcık and Elbistan earthquakes, the decision to evacuate 93 schools in Istanbul, 8 schools in İzmir, and 5 schools in Tekirdağ is a confession of neglect. If these schools are risky, why have they been kept open until now, and the safety of our children’s lives has been put at risk?
5.) Soil survey is as important as the resistance of concrete against earthquakes. Has the location of the schools towards the fault zones been investigated? What will be the status of schools located on or near fault zones?
6.) What studies have you done so far on the earthquake resistance of schools in Turkey?
7.) Will you make legal arrangements to prevent zoning amnesties?
8.) Non-implementation of legal regulations, especially Turkish Building Earthquake Code and Building Inspection Implementation Regulation, in new buildings; enlarged the scale of the disaster. This understanding, which increased the loss of life and property, left our country helpless in preparing for an earthquake. Why were you unable to enforce the regulations?
9.) Fault Law must be enacted in Turkey, areas on active fault zones must be closed to construction. Agriculture, livestock and pasture areas should also be created according to these fault zones. All zoning plans are subject to review. The development and settlement strategies of cities should be redefined. Will you be working on this?
10.) Will you prepare earthquake plans covering all provinces and create large gathering areas?
11.) After the destruction that will occur after the earthquake, the areas, residences, prefabricated houses where the earthquake victims will be placed should be determined. How will you work on this?
12.) Construction machinery for post-earthquake debris should be put into operation quickly, and if necessary, all construction machinery in the hands of the private sector should be confiscated. Will you be working on this?
13.) New constructions should be prevented against new cracks and fractures that will occur in concrete before aftershocks in earthquake zones are over. Why did you make the decision to hastily start construction before the aftershocks are over?
14.) The debts of earthquake victims whose houses they bought with a loan were destroyed should be erased. What kind of measures will you take to prevent the victimization of all earthquake victims who have lost their homes and workplaces?
15.) Will you determine the basic principles from barn to house construction in the earthquake-prone villages and introduce new criteria?
16.) Will you ban high-rise constructions in provinces in earthquake zone?
