We never take measures before coming face-to-face with disasters

After the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake in northwest Türkiye, we were confronted with the reality that we are facing a much greater problem than the earthquake: Our building stocks in Türkiye, a country in the earthquake zone from one end to the other, were faulty.

This fact, known by experts alone until that day, was now found out by everyone, young and old.

It is not that we didn’t learn any lessons from this. A comprehensive law was enacted regarding the new constructions that would be built, and a building inspection system was established. From that day on, all buildings were required to be constructed in accordance with this regulation.

Istanbul was the focus of earthquake discussions because half of the buildings in the mega city were identified as faulty.

I had the opportunity to work closely with the late wise architect Turgut Cansever in a city association. He had staggering theories about the likely Istanbul earthquake.

“[As much as] 50 percent of Türkiye’s economy, and more than half of its adult labor force resides in Istanbul. If we lose the number of citizens projected in the Istanbul earthquake scenarios, the country will collapse.”

I remember our long discussions with Cansever about alternatives. He would often emphasize the subject of satellite cities. He wanted to reduce the building density in the center, and have satellite cities established a one-hour subway ride away from Istanbul.

Though successive laws were enacted pertaining to urban transformation, the renewal process of building stocks does not progress at the desired rate due to the complications in ownership.

The most critical matter concerning urban transformation is not limited to the resource problem alone. When trying to grasp the matter, you see that complex demands are intertwined.

It is almost impossible to make any progress despite living in a place that can be considered a live coffin. Some make it difficult because they cannot let go of their memories, and others for the sake of gaining an extra square meter.

Let’s remember what happened in Istanbul’s Beykoz district.

The Beykoz Municipality launched a transformation in a large area without seeking to make any profit. Legal problems were solved because the majority was achieved. Nonetheless, construction could not be started. Anti-urban transformation demonstrations were made in front of the municipality building for the sake of gaining a few square meters more.

It has been a week now since the earthquake, yet the fight for survival under the rubble continues. People are flocking to the earthquake area in a state of total mobilization.

This nation showed how great it was in a state of vigilance, in days of mobilization, during the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, much like it did during the War of Independence. By the grace of God, we will overcome this grief as well in the spirit of mobilization. But the real test starts after it.

Despite being an earthquake-prone country like Japan, both the public and the state lack this awareness.

The rebuilding of the earthquake-affected areas and Istanbul’s renewal should be discussed together. This matter should no longer be on our agenda. We must be able to overcome earthquakes with strong buildings.

A radical law can be enacted temporarily until urban transformation in Istanbul is completed swiftly.

The state does not produce injustice and unlawfulness. However, in such circumstances, unlawfulness for the sake of protection is better than waiting to die.

The UN can start a help campaign.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the UN secretary-general had managed the grain corridor process together. They can do it again.

We are a nation that has run in any disaster to the aid of people regardless of their faith or race. It is not unrealistic to expect them to do the same now.

We must particularly have World Bank reserves on our agenda. We should be able to use a large rate of sources from here with a long-term repayment plan.

The state and nongovernmental organizations are working on the ground together since day one of the earthquake.

We must not forget the volunteers, the heroes, whose names go unmentioned. One who removes even a single rock is sacred to this nation. The rest is just talk – especially by those busy trying to cause disorder on social media.