The earthquake problem in Turkey in the context of preparedness

Among the disasters occurring in Turkey, earthquakes stand out as the phenomenon causing the most loss of life and social transformation. According to earthquake experts, the anticipated earthquake in Istanbul is expected to produce worse scenarios than those experienced in the past. The aim of this study is to determine Turkey's current level of preparedness for the expected Istanbul Earthquake. Preparedness for earthquakes is closely related to scientifically supported government policies and the level of public awareness. Based on this, it is of vital importance that a deterministic approach be abandoned in the work to be done and that conscious approaches be prioritized. The study is grounded in Ulrich Beck's theory of the risk society, relating Turkey's preparedness policies for a potential Istanbul Earthquake to societal uncertainty. Scientific studies, indicate that an earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher will occur in Istanbul with in the next 30 years. The sample for the study consists of the Final Report on the Istanbul Province Disaster Prevention/Mitigation Basic Plan Including Seismic Microzonation, prepared by the Istanbul Governorate's Istanbul Seismic Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness Project, Istanbul Municipality, and JICA. In addition, the earthquake reports of institutions and the work carried out by social scientists in the context of disaster preparedness are being evaluated. This study is a document review study in line with the qualitative research approach. No direct data analysis was performed in the study; instead, a theoretical and conceptual analysis was conducted. The descriptive analysis method was chosen as the method through document scanning. The current state of preparedness has been assessed based on the findings obtained. The study concluded that although high-level awareness initiatives had been designed regarding societal preparedness for the anticipated Istanbul earthquake, preparedness remained inadequate due to shortcomings in implementation. Keywords: Disaster, earthquake, preparedness, risk, earthquake reports, Istanbul earthquake