600,000 Istanbul buildings at risk of immediate collapse in earthquake scenario
File photo shows an aerial view from Istanbul, Türkiye. (IHA Photo)
Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, announced that the government has invested over $75 billion (2.6 trillion liras) in earthquake recovery efforts, while warning of ongoing seismic risks facing major population centers.
Speaking at a symposium titled “Revival of the Century: February 6 Earthquakes Towards a Stronger Tomorrow,” Kurum revealed that 201,580 housing and business units have been completed and handed over to residents. The government has allocated an additional 584 billion liras in the 2025 budget for continued reconstruction efforts.
The minister expressed particular concern about Istanbul’s vulnerability to future earthquakes, stating that the city “lacks the strength to withstand a new earthquake.” Of the city’s 7.5 million residential and commercial buildings, 1.5 million are at high risk, with approximately 600,000 structures in danger of immediate collapse.
“We have completed the transformation of 907,000 independent units in Istanbul, but we must accelerate our urban transformation initiatives,” Kurum said. He urged residents to evacuate high-risk buildings and called on municipalities to prioritize earthquake preparedness over “unnecessary debates.”
Heightened urgency for reforms as Aegean quakes shake region
The announcement comes amid new seismic activity in the Aegean region, centered near the island of Santorini. Kurum noted that the current pattern of tremors mirrors similar activity observed in 2011-2012, though that episode did not lead to volcanic activity.
“Both spontaneously collapsing buildings and these continuous tremors send us a clear message,” Kurum said. “These incidents have once again shown us how urgent our earthquake preparedness struggle is and what a major national security issue it has become.”
Making a personal commitment to the cause, Kurum concluded, “As a servant of this nation, I have dedicated myself to building an earthquake-resistant Türkiye. As a state, we will not leave the field for even a minute.”
