site.btaTurkiye Commemorates Two Years Since Devastating Earthquakes

February 6, 2025 marks the second anniversary of the most devastating earthquakes in modern Turkish history. The deadly natural disaster in the southeastern part of the country claimed a total of 53,537 lives, and 107,213 people were injured. Neighboring Syria was also affected, with around 6,000 people killed there.

Millions of people were left homeless after entire cities were flattened. According to the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, 800,000 buildings were destroyed or severely affected by the tremors.

Efforts by Turkish authorities to rebuild the affected areas are still ongoing. Billions of euros have been invested in constructing new infrastructure and buildings (including residential blocks, houses, hospitals, and schools).

Three strong earthquakes were recorded on February 6, 2023. The first quake, early in the morning, had a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter scale, with the epicenter in the city of Pazarcik, Kahramanmaras Province, followed by earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.4 in the city of Islahiye (Gaziantep Province) and 7.6 in the city of Elbistan, Kahramanmaras Province.

The affected area from the devastating earthquakes covered 120,000 square kilometers – more than the territory of Bulgaria, and 14 million people were affected. The hardest-hit provinces were 11 in total: Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Adiyaman, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Malatya, Diyarbakir, Adana, Kilis, and Elazig. In addition to these regions, seven other provinces (Sivas, Bingol, Kayseri, Mardin, Tunceli, Nigde, and Batman) were affected to a lesser extent by the earthquake, according to the Communications Directorate.

Tens of thousands of rescuers from Turkiye and around the world, including from Bulgaria, participated in the efforts to rescue those trapped under the rubble.

Two years after the tragedy, the situation in the affected areas is gradually returning to normal, although many people are still forced to live in trailers.

Donations continue to be collected to assist the people in the affected areas, and as of January 15, 2025, donations amounting to TRY 143.2 billion have been collected, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

According to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, a total of 201,688 residential and office buildings have been constructed in 174 different locations across the 11 heavily affected provinces.

Citizens also have the option to take out interest-free loans to acquire new homes.

The authorities are making enormous efforts to restore normal life in all areas, including education. Over the past two years, more than 100 severely affected schools have been reinforced.

The Ministry of Family Affairs continues to focus on the psychological recovery of children affected by the earthquakes. After the tragedy two years ago, the Ministry began coordinating efforts (with relevant institutions) to identify and reunite affected children with their families.

Meanwhile, Thursday will be a non-school day in several of the most severely affected provinces from the earthquakes, including Kahramanmaras, Hatay, and Malatya.

In connection with the memorial programs and visits to cemeteries by citizens who lost loved ones in the tragedy, employees of state institutions will be entitled to administrative leave.