Approaching the fifth year of the terrible earthquake: Testimonies of pain to be turned into an exhibition

Interview: 12punto

Photojournalist and documentarian Öztürk, who has been in the region since the second day of the earthquake, has documented the scale of the destruction and the deep pain and resilience experienced by people, cities, nature, and other living beings by taking thousands of photographs and shooting short films in the provinces affected by the earthquake in Turkey for over three years.

Stating that he is issuing warnings with this work so that the disaster is not forgotten and lessons are learned for the future, Gürcan Öztürk answered our questions about his project.

- Why did you embark on such a project?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK - This project was brought to life to record social memory and to grow solidarity by sharing the photographs. My aim is to draw attention to the fact that the magnitude of the earthquake has not received enough coverage in the mainstream media, and that the problems the local people face regarding housing, employment, education, environment, health, hygiene, and infrastructure need to be made more visible to the public.

- You state that it is the “only and most comprehensive project.” What kind of project process will this be?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK – Let me state one thing clearly: The exhibition I named “In the Footsteps of the Earthquake: We Will Return” is the only and most comprehensive documentary photography work on this disaster. The archive I created through regular field visits will be completed over a five-year period and will turn into a documentary film and a photo book at the end of this process. We also aim to share the information and documents obtained as a social archive open to collective access to be used in administrative and legal studies. This archive aims to create awareness for the improvement of the living conditions of earthquake survivors, the protection of their rights, and for post-disaster processes to be carried out in a more humane and sustainable manner.

- Are you also aiming to draw attention to the fact that the consequences of the destruction are not being taken into account enough and that many things that should be done are not being done?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK – We know one thing well: These 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, centered in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş, caused great destruction in 11 provinces and Syria. This destruction is too great to be covered up with tarpaulins… Thousands of people lost their lives, and hundreds of thousands of buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged.

Millions of people living in the earthquake zone were forced to migrate; provinces such as Istanbul, Ankara, Mersin, Adana, İzmir, and Antalya, in particular, received heavy migration. While economic activities in the region came to a standstill after the disaster, it is estimated that the direct cost of the earthquake on the Turkish economy in 2023 exceeded billions of dollars.

While major losses were experienced in the agriculture, industry, and service sectors; labor and production capacity decreased significantly, especially in provinces such as Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, and Adıyaman. Although the reconstruction process continues in cities and villages, housing, environmental, and infrastructure problems and economic recovery in the region still remain a significant issue.

- We know that some reports were prepared...

“REPORT ON CITIES LIVING ON FAULT LINES”

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK – Yes, that is correct. For example, serious warnings about the earthquake were made in the “Our Cities Living on Fault Lines - Kahramanmaraş Report” prepared by the Headquarters of the TMMOB Chamber of Geological Engineers in 2021, before the earthquake. Despite this, the fact that this study was not taken into account stands as a remarkable event. In the press release they made in 2023 for the anniversary of the earthquake, the Geological Engineers also reminded everyone of the report they had prepared with great effort and meticulousness.

The TMMOB Chamber of Geological Engineers Headquarters had established an “Earthquake Advisory Board” that included many scientists who were experts in their fields following the earthquake that occurred in İzmir in October 2020. I would like to remind you what was said in the report prepared as a result of the meetings and evaluations held by this board:

“...They completed the reports for 18 cities, including Kahramanmaraş and Hatay, in the first half of 2021, taking into account the location of the faults that are a source of danger for our cities and which settlements they directly affect, in order to explain the reality of the earthquake to the society and the relevant authorities correctly. These reports were sent to the President, the Speaker of the Parliament, the chairmen of the five political parties with groups in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), the relevant ministries, mayors, and all deputies of the cities. Not a single official responded to these reports, which were sent to nearly 400 names, which were in the nature of a warning and outlined the consequences of a possible earthquake. Again, in this context, the ‘Our Cities Living on Fault Lines - Kahramanmaraş Report,’ which included the statement ‘The Pazarcık or Türkoğlu segment of the East Anatolian Fault, which passes 10-11 km south of the city center, has not produced a destructive earthquake since 1513 and is a fault capable of producing an earthquake reaching 7.4 magnitude, and is one of the important seismic gaps in Turkey where an earthquake is expected,’ was published and sent to the relevant authorities with a cover letter. Everyone in the state administrative echelons, who had issued a zoning amnesty by adding the clause ‘The issue of the building’s earthquake resistance is the responsibility of the owner,’ knew about this 11-page report, which was published on 02.03.2021, about two years before the earthquake, and which predicted everything except the time and magnitude of the earthquake.”

- Despite this, were no precautions taken?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK – That is so. As can be seen, unfortunately, before the earthquake, the government, the opposition, and public officials were collectively indifferent, unserious, and failed to fulfill their duties and obligations in the face of science and scientists! Then, they loaded the responsibility for the destruction caused by the earthquake onto a few contractors and the earthquake-stricken public, declaring them scapegoats.

- Why do you think this happened?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK – As long as there is zoning amnesty and the rent obtained by the public and municipalities from construction, it is impossible for us to solve these problems. It is an inevitable and painful truth that we will experience the same problems in a possible Istanbul earthquake or a different one!

- The wounds of the earthquake have not been healed. We draw that conclusion from what you have told us and your testimonies... Is that correct?

THE WOUNDS OF THE EARTHQUAKE HAVE NOT YET BEEN HEALED

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK - Unfortunately, that is so. For this “In the Footsteps of the Earthquake” project, I took photographs and conducted interviews in the cities of Malatya, Adıyaman, Maraş, and Hatay. During the 9-day trip I took in August 2026, as we were entering the fourth year, I witnessed that the wounds of the earthquake had still not been healed and that problems in accessing basic rights such as housing, environment, employment, hygiene, health, and education continued.

- What kind of testimonies are these?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK - There are still damaged residences waiting to be demolished, especially in Hatay and Malatya. In cities where city centers have turned into huge construction sites, earthquake survivors are forced to live among construction machinery. Furthermore, they are struggling to survive in container cities, left alone with dust, noise, and uncertainties. In container cities, people are trying to live without regard for women, children, the elderly, the sick, and disability status. Earthquake survivors have been continuing their lives in containers without any improvements or renovations to date. They state that they experience serious problems, especially with the snow, cold, and rain that begin in the winter months. Another fact is that there have been deaths due to fires in containers that are provided with electricity and heat without insulation.

- How did you see the housing problem? What is happening?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK - These cities, where earthquake survivors who lost everything they had and their jobs can take refuge, are the only alternative for those who cannot be provided with housing, although they are not sustainable.

While it remains uncertain how much longer these cities will be in operation, we witness that there are serious infrastructure problems in most of the houses built by contractor firms close to the government without renewing zoning plans, without making city plans, and without taking expert opinions. People are forced to live in houses built far from their old homes and neighborhoods. In addition, there are payment uncertainties regarding the delivered residences.

The properties of some citizens have been declared as “reserve areas,” and there is still no actual work in some regions. People do not know the clarity of the demolition nor the date of construction. They are living a life that is stuck and uncertain. It is reported that the container cities will be emptied in a short time and that electricity and water bills will not be paid. Those living in containers are also under pressure to vacate with successive notices even though their residences have not yet been delivered…

It is necessary to ask the authorities: Where will the owner of an undelivered residence go when they leave the container? How will they go? How will they continue their lives?

ENVIRONMENT AND POLLUTION ARE A BIG PROBLEM

- A kind of “construction site violence” prevails in the region. Is that how it should be seen?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK - Especially the centers of Antakya and Malatya are in a state of construction. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) rules are not followed for the workers and engineers working at these construction sites. In addition, immigrant workers are also employed irregularly by some subcontractors. Due to delayed payments, construction companies and subcontractors leave their work half-finished and leave. This leads to the prolongation of the construction process and a decrease in quality.

Furthermore, the cities remain under a cloud of dust when it does not rain. People, birds, trees, everything… Under a white dust. It is very difficult to breathe and walk. Asbestos-containing debris from damaged and demolished buildings is dumped into wetlands and agricultural lands.

And there are thousands of structures waiting to be demolished. When will they be demolished and new ones built? No one knows; it will take a long time for the cities to get back on their feet. The buildings being built are so similar to each other that I can no longer understand which street or avenue of Antakya I am in. The village houses built by TOKİ are not being built in the places where people lived before, but on the tops of mountains. This is one of the most important complaints of the public.

Since public transportation is not strong in these cities, people have a very hard time getting from their homes to school or work, especially in the winter season. Also, the lack of markets, pharmacies, etc., in these places makes people’s lives difficult.

- The structure of the population and the local people have also changed... There are findings in this direction... What do you say?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK - Because the destruction in the cities is great, the demographic structure has changed a lot. Naturally, production has decreased along with the population. This has led to a great shrinkage of the economy and an unemployment problem. Men work as security guards at construction sites, and women work as cleaning staff. While the prices of rent, food, clothing, etc., are increasing, the price of labor has become cheaper. It is very difficult to find a job before the cities get back on their feet and investment is made. People are forced to do whatever jobs they can find in the big cities they migrate to and continue their lives.

Those who continue their lives by farming seem a little luckier. Olive oil, apricots, grain, fruits and vegetables, and tobacco are produced in the region. However, as is the case everywhere in the country, it is not the producer. A few merchants make money. The tobacco produced in Adıyaman and Malatya is very valuable and is an important source of income for the producer. However, under the pressure of foreign companies, tobacco producers are not allowed. And these people are also forced to migrate from their villages to the cities. When the monopoly existed, they could produce as much as they wanted. But now, law enforcement can catch the producer and the seller, accuse them of being smugglers, and fine them. In other words, the producer can produce, but when they load it onto a vehicle and transport it to another place to sell, they are treated like a smuggler. It is impossible to understand this mentality…

- The generosity of nature is also talked about a lot...

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK – Yes, that is so, it is certain that the lands are very fertile. Everything grows here. The mountains and stones are planted with tobacco and it smells wonderful. What a strange situation, isn’t it? Things don’t work by just saying domestic and national! The producer is being pressured to sell US, French, and even Indonesian tobacco. And this is when these people, whose homes and jobs were destroyed in the earthquake, need even a penny.

SECTS and DRUGS

- By the way, an important subject of complaint is the sects that flock to the region. There is also the spreading drug addiction... What were your observations on these issues?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK - After the earthquake, the weight of what was experienced, the uncertainty, and the difficult living conditions led to two important bad results. One is the increase in drug use among young people. So much so that drug use has now gone down to middle schools. The other is that the influence and power of sects in the cities on adults have increased in an incredible way. It is possible to see an association or foundation on every corner. It is really very, very difficult to live in these cities for people of all ages and genders. Both need to be studied and understood sociologically…. Unfortunately, the living conditions, health, rehabilitation, social and sports facilities, and education offered to people are very inadequate.

WE MUST NOT FORGET!

- What should be done in your opinion? What kind of attitude should people outside the region take?

GÜRCAN ÖZTÜRK - As we enter the fourth year of the February 6 earthquake, most of our people are still living in containers. Living in containers for a long time has worn people out a lot. The frost of winter, the heat of summer… Electricity and water are constantly being cut off. And every earthquake survivor has heavy traumas, losses, and anxieties about the future. The construction process and infrastructure works of the destroyed cities continue. Where the new houses are built and how earthquake-resistant the buildings are is another subject of debate. The biggest problem in the cities where the earthquake occurred is housing…

Despite everything, people continue to return to their cities, to produce, to stay on their feet, to dream, to dance, and to laugh. In short, life goes on, and it takes a lot of time for people and cities to get back on their feet and normalize. We must not forget them and we must continue the solidarity. These are what I want to say for now.