Expert's 'safe zone' warning: 'It is not as safe as people think'

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Kulu district of Konya. This tremor was also felt in surrounding provinces such as Ankara, Kayseri, and Sivas. Authorities reported that there was no loss of life or property in the earthquake.

Prof. Dr. Şükrü Ersoy, a faculty member at the Yıldız Technical University Faculty of Civil Engineering, emphasized in his statement following the earthquake that it is wrong to view Konya as a region completely free from earthquakes. Ersoy said, 'The idea that Konya is the safest place has been debunked by this earthquake. While major earthquakes may have been rare in history, this should not mislead people. Areas such as the surroundings of Kulu and the fault zone passing through Lake Tuz have the potential to generate earthquakes.'

'PRECURSOR EARTHQUAKE COMMENTS WOULD BE SPECULATIVE'

Ersoy stated that speculations regarding whether the earthquake was a foreshock are unfounded at this stage. 'The fault where the 5.2-magnitude earthquake occurred does not appear to be a very active fault. Therefore, it cannot be said to be a harbinger of a larger earthquake. Monitoring aftershocks is important, but for now, comments about a 'precursor earthquake' would be speculative,' he said.