Earthquake fear sparks mass exodus from Istanbul

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Istanbul's residents are leaving the city en masse or moving to safer buildings due to earthquake fears and fears.

A catastrophic series of aftershocks destroyed hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 provinces in southern and southeastern Turkey almost a month ago, killing tens of thousands of people under the rubble. This tragedy served as a dire reminder that for decades, seismic experts have viewed Istanbul, a metropolis of 16 million people, as highly vulnerable to a major earthquake that could strike at any moment. Some experts consider a major earthquake likely in the near future with epicenter in the hinterland of the Sea of ​​Marmara. Istanbul is just located between the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Marmara.

are considered safer in case of strong shocks.

“Companies that provide moving services usually get two or three calls a day, but this time they get up to 25 requests every day,” — says Ali Ayilmazdira, president of the END association, which represents transport companies in Istanbul.— “This movement of people is taking place between all areas, but especially in the European part of the city. People say they are worried that their houses are too old to withstand an earthquake.”

Meanwhile, a huge number of residents are demanding that the city authorities have their homes tested for earthquake resistance. Non-compliance with building codes, which contractors were able to bypass due to corruption, negligence or incompetence on the part of the authorities, is blamed for the shocking death toll in the destruction caused by the February 6 earthquake.

“Depending on the results of these checks, we expect even more people to relocate in the coming period,” — Ayilmazdir said.

Some Istanbul residents are leaving for their summer homes on the Aegean coast, while others are moving to the nearby provinces of Kocaeli and Izmit, the owner of a transport company told the newspaper.

Hakan Aydogan, President of the Association of Real Estate Consultants, referred to an Istanbul study conducted by Ipsos, which showed that up to 70% of respondents said they would like to move to a safer apartment.

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