17 August 1999

On the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Marmara earthquake on 17 August 1999, the Chamber of Construction Engineers (İMO) has called for participation in a walk in Gölcük, a district town on the eastern coast of the Marmara Sea, hit particularly hard by the earthquake.

Representatives of the Turkey Union of Chambers of Architects and Engineers (TMMOB) and İMO will take part in the walk, which will convene at an earthquake monument in Gölcük at 3.02 am, the time when the earthquake began.

Hardly any progress

In a written statement, the İMO said:

* Although 10 years have passed, there has been no change in society or in legislation

* 40 percent of Turkey's buildings are illegally constructed or have no official documents. Ten percent need to be rebuilt, while 30 percent need to be repaired.

* Buildings like hospitals and schools, which are vital after a disaster, still carry the risk of collapsing. According to the Ministry of Public Works and Settlements, only 764 buildings of around 77,522 public buildings (schools, hospitals, etc.) have been strengthened. Of 32,432 schools, 276 have been strenghtened, and of 9,503 hospitals, 55 have been strengthened.

According to official figures, around 18,000 people died in the Marmara earthquake of 17 August 1999 and the Bolu-Düzce earthquake of 12 November 1999. However, inofficial estimates say there were more than 40,000 victims. (EÜ/AG)