TKP emphasizes safe housing and public interest on the 27th anniversary of the Marmara earthquake

Turkey is once again facing the reality of earthquakes on the 27th anniversary of the Marmara Earthquake, which occurred on August 17, 1999, and caused massive destruction and loss of life. The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) issued a written statement on this milestone, calling for an inclusive social inquiry.

The statement expressed that in the years since the disaster, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and leveled thousands of structures, no permanent change has been achieved in the understanding of responsibility and governance. The TKP emphasized that despite repeated promises of "never again" after August 17, similar tragedies have recurred due to neglected precautions and ongoing rent-oriented urban development practices.

Drawing attention to the loss of life and controversial changes in zoning plans following the Van and Elazığ earthquakes, the statement noted that new construction and urban transformation projects are managed with a profit-oriented approach. It underscored that a similar level of destruction was repeated in the major earthquake on February 6, 2023, and that despite the public repetition of the "never again" rhetoric, no permanent or effective measures have been taken.

The statement included the following views: "Despite 27 years having passed, millions of people today are still not sure about the safety of the buildings they live in. Housing construction and urban planning must be removed from being areas of profit."

Noting that in Turkey, which lives with the reality of earthquakes, constant new research and discussion programs are organized—especially for Istanbul—it was emphasized that no concrete, permanent solutions have been implemented to date. The TKP stated that urban planning is still shaped according to the interests of capital and contractors, and that access to sound housing has become a privilege for everyone.

Reacting to the transfer of public resources to capital instead of public safety, the statement warned: "As long as this system, which makes access to sound and livable housing a privilege and offers public resources to the interests of capital rather than the safety of the people, does not change; every new earthquake will mean more destruction, more pain, and being left under the rubble again."

Finally, the TKP called for preventing heavy losses from earthquakes, stating: "For a country where we will not experience the pain of August 17s or February 6s again; we will build an independent and sovereign Turkey together, where the economy is planned according to the public interest."