Turkey earthquake safety: Experts call for better inspection and building inventories

On the 27th anniversary of the August 17 Marmara earthquake, industry leaders and engineers in Turkey have highlighted ongoing vulnerabilities in the nation's building safety and earthquake preparedness.

Yavuz Işık, President of the Turkish Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (THBB), emphasized that seismic safety depends on high-quality materials and continuous inspection. While noting that Turkey has achieved significant global expertise in high-strength, durable concrete technology, he stressed that the recent Kahramanmaraş earthquakes revealed critical steps that still need to be taken regarding implementation and oversight.

Nilüfer Aydoğdu, representing the Chamber of Civil Engineers, warned that while the risk is known, a comprehensive and updated inventory of which specific buildings are at risk is missing. Citing Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change data, she noted that out of approximately 36 million independent housing units in Turkey, about 6 million are considered at risk, with 2 million requiring urgent transformation. Aydoğdu argued that current urban transformation efforts are lagging behind the actual need and called for a scientific, transparent, and continuously updated national building stock inventory.