Earthquakes in Turkey and their socio-economic impacts (1923-1950)

There are three significant fault lines in Turkey: the Eastern Anatolian Fault Line, the Western Anatolian Fault Line, and the North Anatolian Fault Line. These fault lines have been the source of numerous devastating earthquakes throughout history, leading to the tragic loss of countless lives. According to data from the Kandilli Observatory, significant earthquakes occurred in Anatolia during the period of the Ottoman Empire, resulting in the loss of lives. In the 1458 Erzincan-Erzurum earthquake, 32,000 people perished, while the earthquake in Istanbul-Edirne on September 14, 1509, claimed the lives of 13,000 individuals. The earthquake in Izmir on July 10, 1688, resulted in the death of 15,000 people, and in the Hatay earthquake of 1822, 20,000 lives were lost. Similarly, the 1859 Erzurum earthquake caused the demise of 15,000 individuals, and the Tekirdağ-Mürefte earthquake in 1912 claimed the lives of 5,540 people. Within the scope of this study, the earthquakes that occurred between 1923 and 1950 were examined, including the earthquakes during the Atatürk era (1923-1938) and the earthquakes during the İsmet İnönü era (1938-1950). The earthquake in Erzurum on September 13, 1924, marked the first major earthquake of the Republic period. Other earthquakes that occurred during the Atatürk era include the Torbalı earthquake of 1928, the Suşehri earthquake of 1929, the Çivril earthquake of 1933, the Erdek and Digor earthquakes of 1935, and the Kırşehir earthquake of April 19, 1938. The earthquake in Dikili that occurred on September 22, 1939, was the first earthquake to take place during the İsmet İnönü era. The Erzincan earthquake of December 27, 1939, which resulted in the loss of approximately 33,000 lives, is considered the earthquake with the highest number of casualties and property damage among the earthquakes analyzed in our study. Following the Erzincan earthquake that occurred in the early years of World War II, a series of significant natural disasters struck Turkey during the wartime period. In 1940, two earthquakes took place in Yozgat, followed by the earthquakes in Muğla and Erciş in 1941, Bigadiç, Çorum, and Erbaa in 1942, Hendek and Ladik in 1943, Bolu, Gediz, and Ayvalık in 1944, and the Adana earthquake in 1945. These earthquakes stand as major natural disasters that Turkey faced during the war years. The earthquake in Muş Varto in 1946 and the earthquakes in Karaburun and Bingöl in 1949 mark the final earthquakes that occurred during the İnönü era. The year 1942 witnessed a sequence of tremors that visited Bigadiç, Çorum, and Erbaa, followed by earthquakes in Hendek and Ladik in 1943. The year 1944 witnessed seismic unrest in Bolu, Gediz, and Ayvalık, while the Adana earthquake of 1945 solidified its place among the monumental natural disasters that befell Turkey during the tempestuous wartime period. The Muş Varto earthquake of 1946 and the subsequent Karaburun and Bingöl earthquakes in 1949 brought the İnönü era to a close, marking the final seismic upheavals of his tenure. Within this context, this study focuses on the socio-economic effects of the earthquakes that occurred between 1923 and 1950, including the extent of damage, loss of life, the response of the government towards earthquakes, the efforts of the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay), the relationship between earthquakes and migration, public assistance to earthquake victims, the psychological impact of earthquakes on individuals, and the international repercussions of these seismic events.