Earthquake law being prepared for Istanbul: Minister

ISTANBUL

Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Mehmet Özhaseki has announced that his ministry is working on an earthquake law for Istanbul, which is expected to suffer major damage in a possible large-scale quake, citing that they will call an extraordinary meeting to the parliament, which is currently on summer recess.

Out of 5.8 million independent residential units in Istanbul, nearly 1.5 million are considered as risky in the event of an earthquake, Özhaseki stated, adding his ministry is accelerating urban transformation efforts in the metropole that is home to more than 16 million people.

“Almost one-fourth of the structures are at risk. In the event of a quake with a magnitude of seven or above, 600,000 houses would be completely destroyed, leading to severe consequences such as disruptions in transportation, infrastructure collapse, power and gas outage, fires, and water supply disruption. Istanbul would turn into a huge prison,” Özhaseki expressed.

The issue of Istanbul's earthquake resilience has been put back on the agenda following the Feb. 6 earthquakes in the country’s south, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people and gravely devastated 11 cities.

Geoscientists have been warning Istanbul against a major earthquake for more than 20 years.

Stating that a special transformation project and law is being prepared for Istanbul to accelerate urban transformation, Özhaseki noted that they have started talks with both the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and all 39 district municipalities.

Other relevant authorities such as the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and Istanbul Governor’s Office were also involved in the talks, he added.

The initial reports of the efforts will be presented during a cabinet meeting in the coming days, Özhaseki said, adding that his ministry will call the parliament, which is currently on summer recess, for an extraordinary meeting on Istanbul's earthquake law without waiting for them to start duty again in October.

Stating that leaving the urban transformation process to the initiative and joint agreements of residents and contractors has cost Istanbul a lot of time, Özhaseki added that they will build 350,000 houses in reserve areas for citizens living in risky houses.

The minister also stated more than 146,000 people applied for the “On-Site Transformation Project,” initiated to provide grants and credit support to those who choose to rebuild their structures in the quake-hit provinces.

The highest number of applications were received from Hatay, Özhaseki added.