On February 6, magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes affected 11 provinces in Turkey’s south and southeast, killing more than 50,000 people and leaving millions homeless. The devastating earthquakes injured over 100,000, and close to 220,000 disaster victims were evacuated from the region.
Nearly a year after the disaster, residents of Turkey’s southeastern provinces are still struggling to access necessities such as electricity, clean water, public transportation and proper housing. Most victims were put in tent cities, which were suitable for neither hot summers nor cold winters. The tents were flooded several times over the year after heavy rains.
Residents and representatives of grassroots organizations said Turkish authorities were negligent and slow to respond to the needs of victims.
The lack of proper infrastructure has given way to contagious diseases and vermin infestations. Some groups, such as women, migrants, the disabled and students, were more negatively impacted by these problems than others.
Furthermore, the earthquakes generated between 116 million and 210 million tons of rubble, and the government has been criticized for allowing inexperienced workers to move it. Although unions repeatedly voiced occupational safety and health concerns, the government still has not responded with a plan to remedy these problems.
Here is some of the most important news from 2023 dealing with the earthquake disaster:
Disabled earthquake victims complained of limited access to aid
Disabled people living in tent cities after their homes were destroyed by earthquakes in southeastern Turkey on February 6 said it was difficult for them to access aid. Several tent cities were set up in the region; however, they were located far from aid distribution centers and in most cases were also at a distance from public toilets. More…
Tent city in earthquake disaster zone at risk of flooding, Turkish Chamber of Civil Engineers warned
Amid devastating earthquakes that hit southeastern Turkey on February 6, the Turkish Chamber of Civil Engineers warned that a tent city in Diyarbakır province was at risk of being flooded by overflow from a dam. A tent city was set up on the banks of the Tigris River for people whose homes were turned to rubble in the earthquakes. Mahsun Çiya Korkmaz, co-chair of the Diyarbakır Chamber of Civil Engineers, said the dam on the Tigris River had malfunctioned in 2018, causing water levels to rise more than three meters. The area housing the tent city was completely flooded at the time. More…
Gov’t under fire for not providing shelter to earthquake survivors despite massive aid
The Turkish government, which had been receiving growing criticism due to what many say was its poor response to powerful earthquakes that hit the country’s south in February, came under fire again for not providing shelter to survivors despite a huge amount of aid received from within Turkey and from overseas for earthquake victims. More…
Turkish doctors filed complaint against gov’t officials for 70 deaths in hospital destroyed by earthquakes
The Turkish Physicians Union (Hekimler Birliği) filed a complaint against the government officials they claim were responsible for the collapse of a hospital building in the southern province of Hatay in major earthquakes on February 6 and the resulting death of 70 doctors and patients. More…
Mistreatment, rights violations increased in prisons in southern Turkey following devastating earthquakes
Prisoners in the provinces of southern Turkey hit by devastating earthquakes on February 6 faced increased mistreatment and rights abuses, according to lawyers from the Human Rights Association (İHD). More…
Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog imposed fines on 3 TV stations due to earthquake coverage
Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), imposed fines and broadcasting bans on three TV stations for their coverage in the aftermath of two powerful earthquakes early last year. The council fined Tele 1, Halk TV and Fox TV in addition to implementing a five-day broadcasting ban on Tele 1 and Halk TV. More…
Turkish Red Crescent under fire for selling tents after earthquake
The Turkish opposition and media criticized the Red Crescent (Kızılay) humanitarian group for selling rather than donating tents for those made homeless by the deadly earthquakes in February. According to the Cumhuriyet daily, the Turkish Red Crescent sold 2,050 tents to the Foundation of Anatolian People and Peace Platform (AHBAP) relief organization for 46 million Turkish lira ($2.4 million). More…
Former teacher arrested to serve sentence for Gülen links after rescue from earthquake rubble
A former civil servant who went into hiding after receiving a sentence of more than six years in prison for links to the Gülen movement was arrested after being rescued from the rubble of a building in southeastern Turkey. More…
Turkey excluded post-coup purge victims from scholarships offered to students affected by devastating earthquakes
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) announced a scholarship program for students who were affected by deadly earthquakes that struck southern Turkey on February 6, stating that individuals who were dismissed from civil service jobs following a July 15, 2016 coup attempt were not eligible to apply. More…
Experts warned against contagious disease outbreaks in earthquake disaster zone
Experts from the Healthcare and Social Workers Union (SES) warned against increasing cases of contagious disease spreading in tent cities that were set up after massive earthquakes hit southeastern Turkey in early February. More…
CPJ called on Turkey to drop criminal charges against journalists over earthquake coverage
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Turkey to ensure that members of the press do not face criminal charges over coverage of earthquakes in the country in February and to immediately release two journalists detained for their work. The call came amid the arrest of two local journalists due to social media posts questioning the authorities over tents allegedly withheld from quake victims in Osmaniye province. More…
17 people mistreated, 4 journalists detained, 3 prisoners died in region hit by earthquakes: report
At least 17 people were mistreated by security officers in provinces of southern Turkey that were hit by devastating earthquakes in early February, and three inmates died in post-quake prison riots, according to a report released by the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV). More…
Women contended with added burdens from Turkey’s earthquake disaster
From underwear to personal hygiene products, women lacked basic necessities in earthquake zones, according to doctors working in the field. More women were having genital issues because of poor hygiene in the tent cities, but they were still in shock and too traumatized to start thinking about their own bodies — even when they were pregnant. More…
Journalist detained at Ankara airport over earthquake coverage
Journalist Fırat Bulut from the Yeşil Gazete news website was detained at the airport in Ankara over his coverage of the earthquakes in Turkey. He was detained as part of an investigation into him for “publicly disseminating misleading information to the public,” Bulut tweeted from the airport, saying he had been reporting from the region hit by earthquakes in early February. More…
Earthquake restrictions muzzled Turkish media ahead of elections
A state of emergency imposed in Turkey’s earthquake-hit southeast was shackling reporters, a top media rights campaigner told AFP, expressing fears they would be pressured in the run-up to the May elections. More…
Environmentalists warned the mishandling of earthquake debris posed threat to environment and public health
The Chamber of Environmental Engineers warned that the incredible amount of debris from thousands of buildings that were destroyed in earthquakes that struck southeastern Turkey in February posed serious dangers to public health and the environment. Environmental engineers said in an optimistic estimation that the earthquakes, which affected 11 provinces, had resulted in 104 million tons of debris that also includes chemical, medical and industrial waste as well as asbestos and sewage. More…
Earthquakes hit one-fifth of Turkey’s food production: UN
The devastating earthquakes that hit southern Turkey in February damaged more than 20 percent of Turkey’s agricultural production. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said initial assessments in Turkey revealed “severe damage to agriculture, including crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as rural infrastructure in affected areas.” More…
Turkish police, gendarmerie committed abuses in earthquake zone: rights groups
Turkish law enforcement officers in the region devastated by earthquakes in early February beat, tortured and otherwise ill-treated people they suspected of theft and looting, according to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. More…
Erdogan’s son-in-law filed lawsuit over tweet questioning drones’ capabilities after earthquakes
Selçuk Bayraktar, the chief technical officer of Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) producer Baykar who is also the son-in-law of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, filed a lawsuit over a tweet criticizing the drones’ inability to function following two powerful earthquakes in February. More…
Authorities neglected the disabled in Turkey’s earthquake zone, said Amnesty report
A report released by Amnesty International revealed that people with disabilities in Turkey’s earthquake zone were being neglected by the authorities and humanitarian actors. The report, titled “We all need dignity: The exclusion of persons with disabilities in Türkiye’s earthquake response,” revealed that people with disabilities who were living in displacement camps since massive earthquakes struck in early February were being overlooked in the humanitarian response to the disaster. More…
Scabies outbreak in earthquake region sparked concern of Turkish doctors
Doctors expressed concern over a scabies outbreak in tent cities located in an area of Turkey struck by two powerful earthquakes in February. Scabies is a contagious, intensely itchy skin condition caused by a tiny, burrowing mite. More…
Thousands of children lost parents in Turkey’s earthquake disaster
A total of 3,500 children lost either one or both parents in earthquakes that devastated several southeastern Turkish provinces in early February. Thousands of children in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş and Adıyaman provinces were orphaned in the earthquakes, and 2,500 were staying with relatives in the region. Almost 1,000 children moved out of the affected provinces to live with relatives in other parts of the country. More…
Authorities took steps to evict victims of devastating February earthquakes from temporary housing
The Ankara Governor’s Office issued an order to evict victims of February 6 earthquakes from temporary housing. While thousands were left homeless, those who were able to find temporary housing were once again facing homelessness as authorities had not presented them with other housing options. More…
Earthquake victims in southeastern Turkey living in despair and hopelessness
Months after two devastating earthquakes destroyed thousands of homes in southeastern Hatay province, victims said they were living in despair and hopelessness. Victims said access to basic necessities such as clean water was still very limited. They also feared the approaching winter months since most were living in tents and containers. In addition to these problems, victims were grappling with problems of safety, with a growing number of women reporting sexual or physical harassment. More…
Turkish court released police chief arrested for alleged theft of February 6 earthquake aid
A Turkish court released a police chief who was arrested for allegedly stealing assistance intended for survivors of earthquakes that devastated southeastern Turkey in February. More…
Tap water in Hatay was still unsafe to drink 8 months after Turkey’s devastating earthquakes
An analysis conducted by healthcare and professional organizations showed that tap water in Hatay, one of the areas hardest hit by two powerful earthquakes in February, was still unsafe to drink. More…
University students in Turkey’s earthquake disaster zone grappled with disease, floods and infestations
University students living in tent cities in Turkey’s earthquake disaster zone contended with flooding, contagious disease outbreaks and vermin infestations. Since most student dormitories sustained heavy damage in the earthquakes, students were staying in tents provided by NATO. The tents were organized so that 10 students shared one tent and used common toilets. The winter months and increasingly rainy weather caused flooding in the tents and common bathroom areas. Insects as well as snakes and scorpions infested the tents to escape from the cold. More…
Union leaders drew attention to increased occupational accidents in Turkey’s earthquake zones
A union leader said inexperienced workers employed to move rubble in Turkey’s earthquake zones were falling victim to work-related accidents. Ahmet Sert, chairman of the TIMOSEN construction workers union, criticized authorities for the lack of inspection and supervision in earthquake zones, the scene of intensive work to clear debris from the February 2023 earthquakes. More…
