The impact of the February 6, 2023 earthquakes on Turkish crisis management

Turkey is particularly prone to earthquakes, which not only result in loss of life and property but also create multidimensional crises with long-term socioeconomic consequences. The earthquakes that struck on February 6, 2023—among the most devastating in the country's history—led to the deaths of over fifty thousand people, the injury or permanent disability of hundreds of thousands more and inflicted deep wounds on the social fabric of the nation, evolving into a trauma whose effects will be felt for many years. Although the complete prevention of disasters is not possible, minimizing their impacts necessitates the implementation of an effective and well-coordinated crisis management process.Crisis management should not be limited to the response phase alone but must also incorporate preventive, preparatory, and recovery dimensions. This study first addresses the concepts of "crisis" and "crisis management" within a theoretical framework and evaluates the crisis-generating potential of natural disasters from a crisis management perspective. In the second section, the historical and legal transformation of Turkey's crisis management system is examined, with particular emphasis on the institutional restructuring brought about by Law No. 5902, "The Law on the Organization and Duties of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority," which marked a paradigmatic shift in disaster management following the 1999 Marmara Earthquake.The third section of the study focuses on the scope of the February 6, 2023 earthquakes, their place within the crisis management process, and the effectiveness and coordination of public institutions and non-governmental organizations during this period. Furthermore, the legal regulations enacted in the aftermath of the earthquake and their structural and functional implications for Turkey's disaster management system are analyzed. Drawing on the legislative reforms and institutional changes from the Marmara Earthquake to the February 6 earthquakes, the current crisis management structure is critically evaluated, highlighting systemic problems and offering policy recommendations and institutional improvement strategies that need to be developed in the post-earthquake period.