Naci Görür's 'Sooner or later a major earthquake will happen' warning! 'Let's not deceive ourselves...'

On the 27th anniversary of the August 17, 1999 Marmara Earthquake, Turkey's earthquake reality has once again come to the fore. Geoscientist Prof. Dr. Naci Görür emphasized in a post on his social media account that preparations for potential major earthquakes should not be postponed.

Reminding that Turkey is an earthquake-prone country, Görür stated that it is impossible to know the exact time and location of earthquakes, and therefore the primary goal should be to create resilient cities and institutions that will prevent loss of life.

"FRIENDS, LET'S NOT DECEIVE OURSELVES"

In his post, Görür expressed that earthquake discussions should not be limited to fault lines or specific regions, and called for a holistic approach to increase earthquake resilience across the country.

"Friends, let's not deceive ourselves. We live in an earthquake country. Sooner or later, a major earthquake will happen here or there, and thousands of people will die. Forget the fault, forget the location; if you want people not to die, make your country earthquake-resilient and survive the earthquake with minimal damage."

According to Görür, reducing earthquake risk requires a long-term, institutional, and non-political working model rather than short-term campaigns. Proposing the establishment of a special ministry for this purpose, Görür argued that this structure must be operated seriously for at least 20 years.

"The whole point is to establish a ministry and have it work seriously for at least 20 years without playing politics. Turkey has the power to do this."

The post shared by Görür on his X account is as follows:

"WARNING:

Monday is the anniversary of the August 17 Earthquake. We lost many of our people and many of our buildings. Much has been said, much has been discussed. New houses were built. As if they will never be destroyed again, as if there will never be another earthquake.

Friends, let's not deceive ourselves. We live in an earthquake country. Sooner or later, a major earthquake will happen here or there, and thousands of people will die. Forget  the fault, forget the location; if you want people not to die, make your country EARTHQUAKE-RESILIENT and survive the earthquake with minimal damage. The whole point is to establish a ministry and have it work seriously for at least 20 years without playing politics. Turkey has the power to do this. Goodbye."

WARNING:
Monday is the anniversary of the August 17 Earthquake. We lost many of our people and many of our buildings. Much has been said, much has been discussed. New houses were built. As if they will never be destroyed again, as if there will never be another earthquake.
Friends, let's not deceive ourselves. We live in an earthquake country...

— Prof. Dr. Naci Görür (@nacigorur) August 15, 2026

***

The Marmara Earthquake that occurred on August 17, 1999, is remembered as one of the most severe disasters in Turkey's recent history. The earthquake, which caused massive loss of life and property, became a significant turning point regarding structural safety and disaster management.

Turkey has experienced numerous earthquakes in different regions in the years since. The February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes once again demonstrated the vital importance of disaster preparedness, structural safety, and institutional capacity.

News Source: 12punto