What to know about the Earthquake in Turkey

Mücahit Bulut*

The recent occurrence of two successive earthquakes in Turkey with the force of approximately 130 atomic bombs has never occurred anywhere else on the globe. The first earthquake happened around 4:20 am on February 6, 2023, and a second earthquake occurred nine hours later in the same vicinity. Meanwhile, the fact that the earthquakes occurred when the US High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) ship was in the region has sparked numerous speculations. 

Earthquake refers to the shaking and vibrational phenomena that occur on the earth. These tremors and vibrations are measured using the Richter scale. On the Richter scale, the earthquake’s magnitude is displayed in a range from 1 to 12. Earthquakes between 1 and 4 are light, between 5 and 8 are moderate, and between 9 and 12 are considered to be very high. The effects of earthquakes on people are not limited to the intensity of the earthquake. The duration of the earthquake, ground structure, proximity to the outer surface, building characteristics, human consciousness and what was done after the earthquake are the crucial points that determine the effect of the earthquake on people.

Earthquakes are divided into subsidence, volcanic and tectonic. We know destructive earthquakes are generally tectonic (caused by ground motion) earthquakes. The magma in the earth continuously boils, as the food in a pressure cooker, and it similarly collects energy. When this energy increases, it rises to the surface from plate or fault lines, which are continental junctions, with pressure. There are 20 large and small plates in the world. The junctions of these plates are earthquake areas. Since Türkiye is on the border of the Eurasian, African and Arabian plates, it is a country where earthquakes occur frequently. The February 06 earthquake occurred near the endpoint of the African fault line, the longest fault line in the world, and the starting point of the Eurasian fault line. The energy accumulated for a long time came to the surface from here.

How Should We Understand the Türkiye Earthquake?

If we evaluate the earthquake in Türkiye only by its severity, then we make a mistake. An earthquake in the same region, 30 km away and with a very long earthquake duration, increases the energy emitted by the earthquake and its destructive power. Earthquakes in Türkiye (Kahramanmaraş) are also earthquakes with a lot of energy. The following points are essential when discussing the excess energy in this earthquake scenario.

1. Two consecutive earthquakes in a very close area: Buildings damaged in the first earthquake are destroyed by the second earthquake.

2. Their duration is too long: The longer the duration, the greater the destruction. Consider a boxer’s opponent who spends 10 seconds punching while the other spends 100 seconds punching consecutively. Since the opponent became weaker, the destruction rate grows as the exchange time squares. The aftershock immediately after the first earthquake was 6.6 Richter scale and lasted 102 seconds. This situation significantly increased the destructive power of the second earthquake.

3. Proximity to the surface: As the earthquake centre goes underground, the spreading area increases and the strength weakens; As it rises to the surface, its strength increases and its spreading area decreases. The earthquake that increased the destruction in Türkiye occurred at a distance of 7 km from the surface.

4. Soil structure: When the earthquake waves touch the hard ground, the hard ground shows collective strength for which There is little destruction. However, when waves hit the soil and lose ground area, one side of the building descends while the other side collapses due to a lack of collective strength. This causes the destruction to increase. Therefore, the Türkiye earthquake had a great impact on Afşin, Elbistan, Kahramanmaraş, Malatya and Amik surfaces. Since the soil is alluvial on the surface, it is very loose, and the ground is saturated with groundwater. In this case, the destructive power of the earthquake increased.

5. Constructing the buildings in accordance with the earthquake regulations: The fact that 80% of the buildings destroyed in the earthquake are old buildings shows that the recent constructions in Türkiye are more robust.

6. The public’s awareness of what to do during the earthquake: The fact that the first earthquake occurred at night while people were asleep increased vulnerability. Moreover, it is winter, and the weather is cold, so people are at home. Only the fact that the second earthquake occurred during the day reduced the loss of life.

7. Intervention after the earthquake: The fact that there were two major earthquakes in a row, the intensity of the aftershocks was high and lasted for a long time, the earthquake took place in areas where the population was concentrated, 13 million people were affected, and the geography where the earthquake was experienced increased the destruction. Approximately 15% of Turkey was directly affected by the earthquake. This situation delayed the intervention after the earthquake a little bit.

For the last 22 years, Türkiye has intervened in every earthquake in the world with its state institutions and non-governmental organizations such as IHH. In this sense, the country actually has a very experienced team. The fact that most of the destroyed buildings were in the city centres, the deterioration of highways and airports, and the rainy and icy weather delayed the intervention. The wounds of the earthquake will be healed early thanks to the public’s sensitivity, the state officials’ awareness, and the experienced and sincere efforts of foundations and associations. Nevertheless, people who lost their lives will never come back again. Professional teams have been directed to the earthquake zones from the first day, and food, clothing, tools, as well as various types of equipment, have continuously been moved. People rushed to help. At the same time, lots of support came from abroad. May Allah have mercy on the deceased and grant a speedy recovery to the sick.

Meanwhile, the timing of the earthquake and its proximity to the elections has also enabled some individuals to gain political advantage from it. There is a surge in disinformation, particularly from anti-government sources. Specifically, certain regions are attempting to garner votes by creating the impression that they have gotten no aid and are being discriminated against. And once again, countries that do not favour the current political structure in Türkiye are ramping up their criticism of the country’s government through their local collaborators.  This is unethical. It is inhuman. Hopefully, those who want to benefit from this circumstance will not gain public support.

The USA HAARP Ship and the Türkiye Earthquake

There have also been speculations that there was an intervention of foreign states regarding the earthquake in Türkiye. It is stated that the earthquakes were triggered by the USA’s HAARP agency, which was established in Alaska. This institution carries the states to the desired point by creating earthquakes and tsunamis. Some political experts have interpreted the anchoring of the US HAARP ship in the Bosphorus, the unnecessary display of the US flag, and the display of a small Turkish flag on it as a sign of limitation on Türkiye. The fact that an earthquake occurred at night in Istanbul Kathane, where there was no fault line, suggests that this earthquake was artificially induced. Some professors of geophysics have expressed similar concerns. The earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, which happened 24 hours later, showed that something might have set off the energy.

How did the fault that has been dormant for 500 years come into action after the US HAARP ship arrived?

Because whenever this ship came to Türkiye, there was an earthquake in Türkiye. In the 2020 Izmir earthquake, this ship was in the Aegean Sea. The US ship went, and the earthquake stopped. Again, in the 7.4 earthquake in Gölcük, this ship was near the Gölcük. When the USA wants something from Türkiye, if it doesn’t, it tries to tame Türkiye with an earthquake. This earthquake came with the arrival of this evil ship. Necmettin Erbakan used to say: “These globalist Jews emerge from under every stone.”

Conclusion

“Whenever he attains authority, he goes about the earth spreading mischief and laying to waste crops and human life, even though Allah (whose testimony he invokes) does not love mischief.” (Baqarah 2: 205.) They will not be pleased with you until you follow their religion.

In the Qur’an, the following is stated in the 60th verse of Surah al-Anfal: “And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war1 by which you may terrify the enemy of Allāh and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allāh knows. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allāh will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.”

It is worrisome that the United States and European countries closed their consulates in Istanbul prior to the earthquakes, citing terror intelligence as the reason. What is known is that intelligence is shared with the government in the event of a regular terror attack. Thus, it is high time we urgently check our relationships with global exploiting powers, including the UN. All Muslims must make this call in their own states. As the Islamic world, we must be independent of all kinds of global structures. A system based on rights and justice must be established again for the oppressed people. A system where the lives of everyone matter. Where the women, children, and innocent people are not touched. Not a system ruled by exploitation, power, profit, and money. Muslim countries should protect their people’s property, life, honour, religion and mental safety!

*Mücahit Bulut is a Geography Teacher in Kayseri, Türkiye

*Translated by: Mohammad Nadimur Rahman