New warning from Japanese earthquake expert Moriwaki

Japanese earthquake expert Yoshinori Moriwaki has made assessments regarding potential earthquakes in Turkey and Cyprus.

Moriwaki's statements, made exclusively to Ekonomim, are as follows:

Stating that the East Anatolian Fault Line extends from Elazığ, Kahramanmaraş, and Hatay to Adana and subsequently to Cyprus, Moriwaki said;

"The Elazığ earthquake occurred on the East Anatolian Fault Line in 2020, followed by the Kahramanmaraş earthquake and the Hatay earthquake last year. This fault line extends as far as Syria. The Bingöl, Muş, and Bitlis Karlıova regions on the fault line are very dangerous in terms of the potential for a major earthquake. Furthermore, there is another line on the East Anatolian Fault Line that extends from Adana to Cyprus, and since this fault line has not yet ruptured, it currently appears risky."

HE DREW ATTENTION TO THE EARTHQUAKE RISK IN CYPRUS

Stating that the East Anatolian Fault Line extends from Elazığ, Kahramanmaraş, and Hatay to Adana and then to Cyprus, Moriwaki said, "There is a high probability of a magnitude 7 earthquake in Cyprus. Cyprus is one of the dangerous regions in this regard. I can say that this region is a first-degree earthquake zone."

Reminding that the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes also affected Hatay, which has soft soil, Moriwaki also noted that if an earthquake were to occur at sea on the Cyprus side, this area could be affected again due to the soil conditions.

Moriwaki assessed, "Cyprus is a more dangerous region than Turkey, especially in terms of the probability of a destructive earthquake. There is a fault line in the coastal areas of both the northern and southern sides of Cyprus. It could occur on the southern side of Cyprus first. It could happen on the northern side afterward."

Stating that there is a tsunami danger if an earthquake occurs in Cyprus due to it being an island nation, Moriwaki said; "If the earthquake occurs at sea, the tsunami risk is very high. This tsunami would also pose a major risk to Turkey's southern coastline, such as Hatay, Mersin, Adana, Alanya, and Antalya.

In Turkey, tsunamis generally reach a height of up to 1 meter. However, if the earthquake causes a landslide in the deep sea, the height of the tsunami could reach up to 3 meters. Therefore, it is necessary to position residential and assembly areas 3 meters above sea level as a precaution against a possible earthquake and tsunami."

HE ALSO DREW ATTENTION TO SAFE BUILDINGS

Stating, "If we build them properly, the building will not collapse," Moriwaki noted that more than 50 percent of the 21 million building stock in Turkey is unauthorized and emphasized that these buildings must be inspected thoroughly. He also touched upon the importance of earthquake drills and the 'triangle of life'.