Turkish veteran seismologist warns of potential earthquakes in three cities

Duvar English

Turkish veteran seismologist Prof. Naci Görür has warned of the possibility of strong earthquakes in three cities after the southeastern Diyarbakır province and southern Antalya province were respectively struck by 4.2 and 4.5-magnitude earthquakes on Aug. 10.

Görür made the comments during a live program on Halk TV. Asked the question of the possibility of larger magnitude earthquakes hitting the region, Görür said that the Feb. 6-dated major earthquakes changed the topography of Turkey and created a left-lateral shift motion along the East Anatolian Fault line.

“When the Feb. 6 earthquakes happened, the Arab plate has shifted in the northern direction by 7-7.5 meters and led to a further compression of the Eastern Anatolian. I would not be surprised if there were sometimes earthquakes between Adıyaman and Hakkari due to compression,” he said.

“These (Feb. 6-dated) earthquakes have changed certain places’ balances and stress areas. In the Eastern Anatolian fault line region, in the areas close to that region, there might be some motions at Adana Basin, at places between (the cities of) Kayseri, Adıyaman and Hakkari,” he said.

The veteran seismologist said that it is impossible to forecast the exact place and magnitude of the earthquakes, but they had warned about the possibility of a major quake in the region for several years now, which eventually occurred on Feb. 6. 

“We have warned about the Maraş earthquakes (of Feb. 6) for several years now, and we have seen the result. These can lead to 7 or larger magnitude earthquakes. For example the 2011 Van earthquake. As the fault lines move, blocs are tectonically exposed to motion which we are unable to feel,” he said.

He said that he was expecting an earthquake of about 6 to strike southern Adana in the near future. He also said that he was not expecting a “big, destructive” earthquake in the region between Adana and Diyarbakır, but the area might be of course affected by an earthquake that would hit a nearby province.

2.5 million people will face danger of death in expected major Istanbul quake, veteran seismologist warnsDomestic

President Erdoğan targets veteran seismologist for warning about quake risksDomestic

Veteran seismologist warns against rapid building construction in quake-hit provinces after Erdoğan's remarksDomestic