Turkey seesawing between earthquakes and floods

Turkey seesawing between earthquakes and floods
By bne IntelIiNews July 2, 2020

Turkey has become familiar with a worrying pattern in which it experiences low magnitude earthquakes more frequently than usual. Since last autumn, casualty-causing earthquakes have hit eastern towns and cities, while some lower magnitude earth tremors have occurred in western parts of the country.

Also, during May and June, Turkey experienced floods and other adverse weather events such as hailstorms that caused casualties and damage to agricultural crops.

On June 26, an earthquake with a preliminary measure of magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale hit a town in western Turkey, sending people rushing out of buildings, AFP reported. There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage.

The earthquake was centred in the town of Saruhanli, in Manisa province, and it was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Izmir, Aydin and Mugla.

The quake came a day after another tremor, measuring 5.4, shook the eastern province of Van, near the border with Iran, slightly injuring five people and damaging homes.

Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent.

In 1999, a magnitude-7.4 quake killed more than 17,000 people in northwestern Turkey, severely damaging the city of Izmit.

Seismologists warn that the northwest could again be hit by a big-magnitude earthquake. The region includes biggest Turkish city and commercial capital Istanbul, which accounts for a huge proportion of the country’s population and economy.

Related Articles

Turkish footwear manufacturers step up investments in Uzbekistan’s leather and footwear industries

Turkish footwear manufacturers are stepping up their investments in Uzbekistan’s leather and footwear industries, according to local reports. A $1mn investment in the manufacture of leather, ... more

Shipping companies latest to feel effects of “West’s very tight blockade against Turkey’s banking system", says report

Shipping companies are the latest to feel the effects of “the West’s very tight blockade against the Turkish banking system”, according to a report by Turkish publication Ekonomim. In ... more

“Panic buys” push up white goods sales in Turkey as consumers fret over impending credit card curbs

White goods sales in Turkey moved up 22% y/y in January as anxious consumers rushed to stores to make “panic buys” ahead of possible government measures to curb credit card spending, according to ... more

Dismiss