ISTANBUL, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) — Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, urged for the establishment of a specialized council to enhance the city’s earthquake preparedness during a press conference. The announcement comes as the anniversary of the country’s deadliest earthquake approached, occurring on Feb. 6, 2023.
Imamoglu stressed the need for extensive cooperation between local and central governments, financial institutions, industry representatives, and civil society organizations to strengthen earthquake resilience in Istanbul. He proposed the council to coordinate efforts to improve decision-making, financing, and project design.
According to the mayor, there are around 200,000 high-risk buildings in Istanbul, housing approximately 3 million citizens, that require repairs before a major earthquake strikes. The municipality has so far evacuated and demolished 1,556 buildings, but faster action is necessary to complete the project.
Last February, two powerful earthquakes devastated southern Turkey, resulting in the deaths of over 50,000 people and displacing millions. In response, Mayor Imamoglu initiated a comprehensive survey on the quality of buildings in the city, with plans to reinforce or demolish those deemed weak.
Istanbul, with over 16 million inhabitants, has a total of 1.2 million buildings, as reported by the municipality. Situated at the western end of the North Anatolian Fault Line, the city has experienced numerous major earthquakes in the past.
