Prof. Dr. Naci Görür joins 12punto: 'If the Marmara region collapses, there will be no independence left...'

Following the February 6 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, all eyes in Turkey have turned to Istanbul. Prof. Dr. Naci Görür was a guest on the program '12'den', hosted by veteran journalist Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu. In the essential program, Prof. Dr. Görür explained the potential Istanbul earthquake and the devastating consequences of such a quake for all of Turkey.

Addressing those who do not want to talk about earthquakes due to anxiety, Görür stated, "If you have a concern that something bad might happen, you don't solve it by not talking about it; you have to eliminate the dangers that exist. This is a requirement of being a modern person; I see the attitude of 'let's not talk about it, let's not discuss the earthquake'—forgive me—as ignorance."

"IS IT TOO LATE?"

When asked by veteran journalist Mollaveisoğlu, "Is it too late for Turkey?", Görür responded as follows:

"No, that is never the case. But of course, we are late, we have been late. Earthquake zones are places where the ecosystem is initially attractive. One should not fear earthquakes. Earthquakes show that the Earth is alive. If the Turkish people assert their own will, we can get rid of this earthquake threat within 15-20 years."

Evaluating the shortcomings of governments in the earthquake preparation process, Prof. Dr. Görür said, "During the Republican era, the strategy they followed until 2010 was an outdated strategy in scientific terms. It was in the form of 'we will console the public when an earthquake happens, we will provide them with soup and water.' If the people living in the earthquake zone were conscious, they would have asked the state officials when they arrived, 'Where were you before the earthquake?'" Stating that there should be no partisanship, Görür emphasized that what matters is earthquake preparedness.

"I FOUND IT POSITIVE"

Touching upon the fact that the earthquake issue was discussed during the meeting between President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, Prof. Dr. Görür said, "I found the behavior of both the government and the opposition before the last elections very positive. It is good that they are talking about these things, but action is also important. They don't even need to go on television; they should go out to the streets immediately and start. Cooperation between central government and local government is very important. If the opposition, the government, and the public cannot unite for the country, what will they unite for?" he said, emphasizing that the country is more important than any party.

Stating that publications on earth sciences and earthquakes are made worldwide, and that these publications note that the death of tens of thousands of people in a single night indicates that a society is 'rotten,' Prof. Dr. Görür recalled the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, saying, "This is said because in that society, there has been theft from iron, theft from cement, and there is no oversight. Many of our people died in the February 6 earthquakes. Not a single official resigned."

6 COMPONENTS FOR EARTHQUAKE RESILIENCE!

Criticizing the priority given to new building construction for earthquake preparedness, Prof. Dr. Görür said, "Mayors come out and say they will build houses. They think that by building new buildings, they are preparing for an earthquake. However, the worst thing to do in an earthquake zone is to build new buildings. Because the population is also increasing," and expressed the real solution as follows:

"It is to minimize damage, loss, and loss of life in a potential earthquake in terms of people and structures. A city has 6 components: administration, public, infrastructure, building stock, ecosystem, and economy. If you make these 6 components earthquake-resilient, the city becomes earthquake-resilient."

Stating that the best building is one that allows people to emerge from an earthquake without harm, Prof. Dr. Görür also noted that it is normal for a building to sustain damage.

GAVE AN IDEA FOR AN EARTHQUAKE FUND

Stating that the government should establish an earthquake fund and that its center should be in Ankara, Prof. Dr. Görür offered a solution for building renewal: "It shouldn't be like the ones before. It should be guaranteed by the state and the Central Bank. The person who will reinforce their house should come to this bank. The bank should take what it needs and send it directly to the fund. The fund should send it directly to the foreign investor. There is no government involved; foreign investors would love this."

"NEITHER ECONOMY NOR POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE..."

Prof. Dr. Görür concluded his remarks by stating that the Marmara Region is not ready for an earthquake:

"The industry and economy in the Marmara Region account for 60 percent of Turkey's gross national product. So, is it ready? No, it is not, and they don't even know how to prepare it. If the Marmara Region collapses, the whole country collapses. Neither economic independence nor political independence will remain."