Century of Loneliness

[EN] On February 6, 2023, Turkey experienced one of the most devastating natural disasters in its history. At 04:17 AM, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Pazarcık district of Maraş. Later the same day, at 13:24, a second major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 occurred in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş. Both earthquakes occurred at relatively shallow depths of approximately 8–10 kilometers, making their impact extremely destructive.

The disaster is remembered not only for the destroyed buildings but also for the deep wounds it left in people's memories. The cold weather greatly increased the suffering of those trapped under rubble and those struggling to survive outdoors.

The earthquakes affected not only Kahramanmaraş but also a wide region including Hatay, Adıyaman, Malatya, Gaziantep, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Adana, Şanlıurfa, and Kilis. The destruction spanned approximately 110,000 square kilometers, almost the size of a small country.

According to official figures, more than 50,000 people lost their lives in Turkey, and over 100,000 were injured. More than 200,000 buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged, and roughly 14 million people were directly affected.

However, the officially announced death toll was widely considered unconvincing by many segments of society. The belief that the real number of casualties was being concealed deepened the collective grief.

During the first two to three days after the earthquake, the state’s search and rescue operations were delayed. In many areas, survivors had to rescue their loved ones from the rubble on their own. Aid reached rural villages and neighborhoods days after the disaster, and the delayed response of the state provoked widespread anger.

Another widely criticized issue was that aid collected by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), other political parties, NGOs, and volunteers was blocked by the state when being sent to earthquake-affected areas.