War games in an earthquake-prone country! A show of force in the sky, silence beneath the ground!

Last night, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of the Mediterranean. Seismic tension continues to accumulate along the Hellenic Arc. Experts have long been warning about the major earthquakes expected in the Aegean and Mediterranean. The danger is growing; the ground beneath us is active. Every new tremor could be a harbinger of a larger one.

And this morning… the skies over Antalya echoed with the roar of Sikorsky helicopters. The Turkish Armed Forces were simulating war scenarios as part of the Denizkurdu-II/2025 Exercise. As military helicopters performed a display in the sky, the public looked up to watch. Yet, the real threat is not coming from above, but from beneath our feet.

It has not even been two years since the February 6 earthquakes. We laid tens of thousands of people to rest. The silent screams of children under the rubble still ring in our ears. What are we doing? War games. War games instead of earthquake drills.

A helicopter off the coast of Antalya made an emergency landing in the sea due to a malfunction. Fortunately, the crew was rescued. But what if a major earthquake had occurred at the same time?

Turkey is an earthquake country. This is not an exception; it is a reality. At any moment, anywhere, massive destruction can occur. Earthquake drills could save far more lives than war games. But our choices seem as if the enemy will come from somewhere else.

Displays in the skies may be dazzling. But the silent danger beneath the ground is more lethal. We are not currently being threatened by war; but we are tested by earthquakes every day. This country's priority should be human security, not military security. We must build awareness, not just concrete.

And we must now ask:

What are we preparing for? The real probability, or an imaginary threat?