Evaluation of the effectiveness of AFAD search and rescue teams involved in the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes: The case of Hatay

This thesis aims to evaluate the operational effectiveness of the teams that took part in the search and rescue activities carried out in Hatay province following the earthquakes that occurred on 6 February 2023, centered on Kahramanmaraş, in the first response process of the teams affiliated with the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), National Medical Rescue Teams (UMKE), Gendarmerie Search and Rescue (JAK) units, fire brigades, and various non-governmental organizations.Within the scope of the study, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 search and rescue personnel who were directly involved in the disaster area; the field data obtained were analyzed at the thematic level using MAXQDA 2024 qualitative analysis software. The research findings revealed that search and rescue processes are directly related not only to technical competence but also to multidimensional factors such as institutional coordination, equipment standardization, logistics management, personnel training, and psychosocial resilience. Communication and coordination problems, especially during the first response hours, negatively affected the response speed and success rate. In addition, the gaps between the theoretical framework of the Turkish Disaster Response Plan (TAMP) and its implementation in the field clearly show the need for structural reform in the disaster management structure. The policy recommendations developed in this study to increase the effectiveness of search and rescue teams provide a comprehensive transformation framework that envisions strengthening site-specific planning, increasing disaster preparedness, expanding technology-supported early warning and data systems, and restructuring AFAD and other organizations conducting search and rescue activities to comply with international standards. The study aims to contribute to the disaster management literature with original field-based data.