4.2 magnitude earthquake Gölbaşı, Adıyaman

[Anthea]

The earthquakes have slowed down in both numbers and strength

4.1 magnitude earthquake Çelikhan, Adıyaman
UTC time: Wednesday, March 22, 2023 19:43 PM
GMT: Wednesday, 22 March 2023 at 19:43 GMT

There is no way of knowing whether or not there will be another strong quake

[Anthea]

Extremely worrying news:

4.4 magnitude earthquake Göksun, Kahramanmaraş
UTC time: Thursday, March 23, 2023 05:45 AM
GMT: Thursday, 23 March 2023 at 05:45 GMT

4.9 magnitude earthquake Göksun, Kahramanmaraş
UTC time: Thursday, March 23, 2023 09:19 AM
GMT: Thursday, 23 March 2023 at 09:19 GMT

[Anthea]

Yet again the ground weakens and tears

4.6 magnitude quake Göksun, Kahramanmaraş
UTC time: Friday, March 24, 2023 00:39 AM
GMT: Friday, 24 March 2023 at 00:39 GMT

[Anthea]

Certain political parties are telling Kurds to remain in their homes

4.4 magnitude quake Nurhak, Kahramanmaraş
UTC time: Friday, March 24, 2023 13:10 PM
GMT: Friday, 24 March 2023 at 13:10 GMT

The area is NOT safe and could become more dangerous

[Anthea]

What next !?!

4.4 magnitude quake Celeyke, Kahramanmaraş
UTC time: Saturday, March 25, 2023 04:39 AM
GMT: Saturday, 25 March 2023 at 04:39 GMT

Cannot begin to guess what will happen

[Anthea]

Perhaps we should be grateful this was miles away from Kahramanmaraş

4.3 magnitude quake Saimbeyli, Adana, Turkey
UTC time: Saturday, March 25, 2023 06:33 AM
GMT: Saturday, 25 March 2023 at 06:33 GMT

In reality, this shows how large the area of instability is

[Anthea]

Just when I thought the quakes had come to an end

4.4 magnitude quake Göksun, Kahramanmaraş
UTC time: Monday, March 27, 2023 14:35 PM
GMT: Monday, 27 March 2023 at 15:35 BST

Will quakes become weaker or stronger, no idea !?!

[Anthea]

Asbestos in earthquake areas

Environmental organizations warn that the earthmoving work in the earthquake zones may lead to a threat of asbestos and harmful substances, and call for urgent measures to be taken

77 environmental and animal rights organizations and unions in Turkey released a written statement about the hazardous threat after the earthquake and listed the precautions to be taken. The statement emphasized that the efforts to remove the ubiquitous rubble that produces asbestos threatens public health and the ecosystem.

Experts say that asbestos is an insulating and carcinogenic substance.

'ECOLOGICAL BALANCE RATHER THAN CAPITAL'

The statement pointed out that the debris was being removed quickly without irrigation work. It noted that during the demolition and removal, harmful chemicals were mixed with the air, soil and water. Moreover, protective equipment against the risk of asbestos was not used.

The statement listed the demands of the environmental organizations as follows:

“*All the debris removal operations should be stopped immediately, except for the excavation storage areas designated before and after the earthquake. The names and locations of the designated areas should be made public, and the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), urban/ecological organizations and local representatives should be allowed to inspect these areas. Debris wastes that contain various chemicals should be kept in storage areas that meet the hazardous waste storage conditions.

* Debris removal operations should be carried out in a way that protects the ecological balance and the lives of the workers, rather than being capital-oriented, by taking the necessary precautions for workers’ health and safety.

* A report on whether demolished and damaged houses contain asbestos and other hazardous substances should be revealed to the public.

* The rubble that contains asbestos and hazardous substances should be separated and removed based on scientific methods and stored in a way that does not harm the life cycle.

* Transparent joint coordinations should be established and these should contain all local subjects, including public institutions responsible for debris removal and dumping, especially the ministry of environment, urbanism and climate change and ecology organizations, professional chambers, city councils, unions.

IMPRACTICABLE

In UK Asbestos was widely used as a fire retardant in properties build prior to the 1980s when the long-term dangers of Asbestos was discovered. Not only was Asbestos used in the structure of almost every building prior to 1980, it was also used in roofs, fire doors, cupboards and ducting, hot air and heating systems, building cladding and even ironing boards

I imagine Asbestos was just as widely used in Turkey

The earthquakes would have spread Asbestos clouds locally BUT there was no time to test everything, saving lives was of the upmost importance. Now unearthing bodies and preventing the spread of disease is the most important

Unfortunately certain Kurdish groups keep telling the people to remain in the danger zone, even suggesting people take shelter in already damaged properties

[Anthea]

I am sure you all already know the earthquakes continue

4.6 magnitude quake Saimbeyli, Adana
UTC time: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 16:47 PM
BST: Wednesday, 29 March 2023 at 17:47 BST

4.3 magnitude quake Göksun, Kahramanmaraş
UTC time: Wednesday, March 29, 2023 21:44 PM
BST: Wednesday, 29 March 2023 at 22:44 BST

Still so-called experts are unsure what will happen next

[Anthea]

The great Kurdish mountain refuses to calm down

4.3 magnitude quake Uzunbağ, Hatay,
UTC time: Saturday, April 01, 2023 12:34 PM
BST: Saturday, 1 April 2023 at 13:34 BST

4.2 magnitude quake Uzunbağ, Hatay
UTC time: Saturday, April 01, 2023 12:40 PM
BST: Saturday, 1 April 2023 at 13:40 BST

Like all things Kurdish, it wants to be free from Turkey

[Anthea]

I had hoped that the earthquakes had stopped

4.5 magnitude quake Bingöl, Turkey
UTC time: Friday, April 07, 2023 08:29 AM
BST: Friday, 7 April 2023 at 09:29 BST

Bingöl is where many of my friends come from

[Anthea]

On Monday 10 April it will have been 9 weeks of earthquakes

4.1 magnitude quake Afşin, Kahramanmaraş
UTC time: Saturday, April 08, 2023 00:26 AM
GMT-1: Saturday, 8 April 2023 at 01:26 BST

An unending nightmare for the Kurdish population

[Anthea]

Quake survivors return home

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

Almost two months after the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes that hit the country’s south, earthquake survivors who had migrated to different provinces have begun to return to their hometowns.

Thousands of people living in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes, left their hometowns in which large-scale destruction took place with the tremors.

The ongoing aftershocks whose numbers exceeded 19,000 were another reason for many others to leave the cities.

Istanbul, the neighboring cities of Mersin, Tokat and Sivas and the western province of İzmir were the provinces that received the most intense earthquake migration.

Stating that they were leaving the quake-hit cities to come back, many survivors started their journey to their hometowns two months after the quake disaster.

This situation also created a density at the bus terminal of Kahramanmaraş.

Accordingly, bus driver İlyas Kavuncu shared his observations about the recent state of the city, stating that many survivors had just started to return from the other cities.

Kavuncu added that he expects an increase in the number of people coming back to the city after the Ramadan feast.

Ahmet Arslan, another quake survivor, who temporarily settled in the house of his brother studying in Tokat, said “I went to my brother’s place to get away from here [Kahramanmaraş]. One day after the earthquake, we left the city in a hurry.”

Another survivor İsmail Karagöl was among the people returning the city. He stated that his house collapsed in the quake and he and his family got trapped under debris.

Electrician Gökhan Şirin stated that he arrived in the city in order to support the earthquake victims with housing.

“I have come to make electrical installations to container cities so that we can at least help the earthquake victims. I have been here for 15 days now and we have completed the electrical installation of 500 containers,” Şirin expressed.

It is estimated that the number of people who left the earthquake-hit provinces and moved to another locations exceeds 2 million.

Along with another quake-hit province of Hatay, Kahramanmaraş was among the cities that experienced the most severe destruction in the earthquakes.

In the earthquakes, more than 50,000 people lost their lives and many others were left homeless.

More than 2.5 million survivors stay in tent cities.

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/quake ... wns-182201

Would I recommend people returning to Kahramanmaraş at this moment in time? Absolutely NOT

[Anthea]

I am furious that a certain Kurdish party is telling people to seek shelter in their partly collapsed homes

4.3 magnitude quake Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş
UTC time: Monday, April 10, 2023 22:45 PM
GMT+1: Monday, 10 April 2023 at 23:45 BST

I repeat, there is no way of knowing what will happen next

[Anthea]

Will survivors miss vote

Ali, a 23-year-old student, lost everything in Turkey's earthquake. His parents are missing and his ancient hometown, Antakya, lies in ruins

To fight back, Ali, who like many survivors declines to give his full name, has launched a drive to ensure that more than three million people displaced by the February disaster can vote in next month's general election.

The May 14 ballot promises to be perilous for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a dominant leader forced into the unusual position of apologising for his government's response to Turkey's worst disaster of modern times.

Rescuers and relief workers took days to reach some ravaged areas, creating a sense of abandonment and directing anger at officials for a death toll that has topped 50,000.

"It's important to reflect this anger at the polls," said Ali, who now lives in Ankara.

With friends, he launched an appeal on Twitter asking political parties to pay the bus tickets of students who had to leave Antakya but want to return to cast their votes.

The main opposition CHP party has pledged its support.

People who sought shelter in cities such as Ankara, Istanbul and Mersin on Turkey's southern coast had until April 2 to register their new voting address.

Those who missed out have to return to their ruined cities to cast ballots.

Erdogan's opponents view the early deadline as a covert government effort to suppress the protest vote.

"People lost loved ones and everything that was precious to them. Most were in no condition to take care of their election registration," said Ali Oztunc, a CHP deputy representing Kahramanmaras, near the epicentre of the 7.8-magnitude quake.

- 'Afraid of the victims' -

Only 50,000 of the 820,000 registered voters in Kahramanmaras were able to change their registration, according to Oztunc, who estimates that half of the province's residents have left.

That means hundreds of thousands will have to somehow find their way back to take part in what is widely seen as Turkey's most important election in its post-Ottoman history.

"It is impossible to transport so many people," said Oztunc.

"It would take thousands of buses and that would create a giant traffic jam. No party can organise that."

People play pool at the accomodation center provided by the Ankara municipality where 525 displaced families coming from earthquake regions are living, on March 31, 2023. Photo: Adem Altan/AFP

The CHP's leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is the opposition's joint candidate in the knife-edge vote.

The party's vice president, Onursal Adiguzel, openly accuses officials of trying to tamp down turnout among the displaced.

"The authorities could have extended the deadline to assist with the registration," Adiguzel said.

"But they are afraid of the victims," he said. "They are doing everything to hinder the vote."

Forced to leave Kahramanmaras, father-of-two Abdullah said he was actively discouraged by civil servants from changing his registration address.

"I was told that I would lose my rights to public aid for earthquake victims," Abdullah said at his temporary home in Ankara.

"So I kept my address in Kahramanmaras. But I don't know how I'll be able to go there and vote."

- 'Free elections impossible' -

At a shelter in the suburbs of Ankara, only 120 of the 525 displaced families had taken the necessary steps to change their legal address.

Eymen Gassaloglu, 34, who lives at the shelter with her two daughters, was determined to return to Antakya on election day - even if it meant sleeping in a tent.

"It's about my future," said Gassaloglu. "I'll vote no matter what."

Some said returning to the province would also give them a chance to monitor voting and report any irregularities.

Erdogan's critics fear that voting lists will include people who went missing but not officially declared dead, creating room for manipulation by election officials.

"The authorities do not openly disclose the number of missing people. This is a concern," Adiguzel, the CHP vice president, said.

Ozgur Yusuf Kavukcu, 45, managed to register to vote in Ankara. But most of his friends will have to return to Antakya, a ghost town where just a tiny fraction of the buildings has survived unscathed.

"I think free elections are impossible under such conditions," Kavukcu said.

"But there is no other choice. We have already lost a lot with the earthquake. Losing the expression of our free will would be another disaster."

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/15042023