Turkey emphasizes disaster preparedness and urban resilience

Turkish officials are emphasizing disaster preparedness and urban resilience during recent policy discussions. At the 40th General Assembly of the European Seismological Commission in Istanbul, Minister Çiftçi highlighted the necessity of integrating science with state responsibility to prevent earthquakes from turning into major disasters. He noted that AFAD operates Europe’s largest earthquake observation network with over 1,200 stations and shares data with 10 countries and five international seismology centers.

In Rize, AK Party Vice President Nilhan Ayan discussed the vision for sustainable cities, focusing on climate change adaptation and disaster resistance. Ayan identified high risks of floods, landslides, and coastal development issues in the Black Sea region, stating that the government's goal is to match its post-disaster response strength with proactive risk reduction efforts.