Effective usage of Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in natural disasters: Examples of Kocaeli and Van earthquakes

As the solution of natural disasters, Turkey has resulted in unacceptable loss of life, injuries and property damages. Earthquakes, floods, landslides, rock falls, drought, snow avalanches are leading natural hazards. Deforestation and attendant soil erosion exacerbates these hazard and risks. Since the beginning of the last century nearly about 100.000 people has lost their lives and a further 200.000 people have been injured due to natural disaster. The total number of heavily damaged or collapsed dwelling units is over around 600.000.Governmental bodies perform its responsibilities due to Disaster Law Number 7269 with later revisions and additional decrees. In addition the duties of the varieties and disasters are defined by laws. Due to laws and regulations the main responsibility of these public varieties is to define precautions and restriction for earthquake, landslide, rock fall, snow-avalanche, flood and etc. Before and after disaster occurs, and also maintain their implementation and make cooperative studies with relevant governmental and non-governmental bodies. Very basically disaster management covers technical, administrative and legal facilities, their implementation of effort in order to maintain disaster loss reduction both before and after disasters happen. The main scope of this study is to give examples to disaster management studies being performed at Turkish Armed Forces at all phases (pre, syn and post disaster activities) of this system. By doing this we aim to evaluate the role of TAF. In this study, it was aimed of explanation of TAF?s preparations, educational studies, supplementary assessments in natural disasters and action areas with helping operations under exampled conclusions Kocaeli and Van earthquakes.