This is one of the biggest earthquakes since the devastating earthquake of the 1999, with a magnitude of 7.4, in the economically developed Western Marmara region that killed more than 20,000 people and injured some 44,000. Around 600,000 people were left homeless while many houses had collapsed as a result of the Marmara quake.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes are not avoidable, but states can avoid high numbers of casualties as well as material damage by taking necessary measures.
There had been high expectations after the 1999 earthquake in the Marmara region that state had learned its lessons and would take the necessary measures to prevent the repetition of similar mistakes. Earthquakes that have taken place since and the reports coming from the latest quake in Van make clear that the state has been making the same mistakes in allowing inexperienced constructors to build houses that do not comply with international standards. At least 80 multi-storey buildings collapsed in the Van earthquake like toy houses. Many people are feared trapped under the rubble.
Though over 600,000 people were left homeless in the 1999 Marmara quake, mostly as a result of badly built houses in a country which is classified as an earthquake zone, only one constructor was tried and put in jail.
Turkish warplanes involved in cross border operations into northern Iraq at the time, failed to come to the rescue of earthquake victims while local Aselsan made radios receivers failed to work. The same problems existed in the civilian rescue capacity too, who proved too inexperienced for the job. And yet, wrongdoers have not been punished and lessons have not been drawn from this.
Turkey has also failed to take necessary measures that would decrease the number of road accidents that have taken the lives of many.
According to a report released by World Health Organisation (WHO) on Oct. 21, some 10,000 people lose their lives on the roads every year and another 200,000 are injured as a result of road traffic accidents in Turkey. The majority of the injuries result in some type of disability or life long health problem, the same report said. Turkey has been engaged in a WHO supported project to establish a mechanism for multisectoral cooperation and capacity building on road safety.
Road accidents have claimed more lives than almost 30-year-long fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). This fight is estimated to have claimed the lives of some 50,000 people.
Similarly, lessons are not learned from past mistakes in the fight against the PKK.
Turkey has launched a ground offensive with some 10,000 elite forces, the majority of whom have been put to combat inside Turkey, in the Kurdish dominated southeastern regions. Some of the troops have been staging cross border operations simultaneously inside northern Iraq against the PKK targets.
The massive Turkish military operations are retaliation for simultaneous PKK ambushes on eight different military and police targets last Tuesday that killed 24 Turkish soldiers.
This attack has also prompted increased accusations leveled against the military for making security mistakes in the fight against the PKK. It has been unacceptable that a nation fighting against the PKK for an almost 30 years would be ambushed by the PKK in simultaneous attacks against eight targets.
An independent investigation has not been initiated by the government over alleged military failure in the last PKK attack too.
Turkey has taken important steps in the past decade to reform itself and improve the democratic standards. But as the above mentioned events show it has a long way to go to establish a properly functioning democracy wherein good governance will be a key element.
