[News Spot] Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Strikes Gaziantep, Turkey

6th Largest Population, Strategic Hub Connecting East and West
Bordering Syria to the South

[Image source=United States Geological Survey (USGS)]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On the 6th (local time), Gaziantep in T?rkiye, struck by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, is historically a key point connecting East and West, and is considered the sixth most populous and industrially developed city in T?rkiye.

Gaziantep Province is bordered to the east by ?anlıurfa Province across a tributary of the Euphrates River, to the west by Hatay Province adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, and to the north by Kahramanmara? Province. Especially to the south, it borders Syria, which has led to significant Arab cultural influence and a large population of Syrian Arabs. Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the population of Gaziantep, a border area, has rapidly increased due to an influx of refugees.

The city of Gaziantep, at the center, had a population of approximately 2.13 million as of 2021 and serves as a major export hub with large industrial complexes. It is known for its developed handicrafts, including carpets and leather shoes as specialty products. It is also a major production area for agricultural products such as olives and pistachios, and is famous for olive oil soap, wine, and the traditional dessert baklava.

Gaziantep is also considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities. Evidence of human settlement dates back to around 4000 BCE during the Sumerian civilization, and it was already known as "Hantap" during the Hittite period. It has been ruled by various empires and dynasties including the Hittites, Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Abbasids, and Seljuk Turks, leaving behind architectural relics from various eras both inside and outside the city. However, the recent earthquake reportedly caused significant damage to cultural heritage, including the partial collapse of Gaziantep Castle, built around the 2nd to 3rd centuries.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), at around 4:17 a.m. local time on the 6th, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred inland about 33 km from Gaziantep, followed by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock 11 minutes later. The earthquake has so far resulted in nearly 4,000 deaths and over 18,000 injuries in T?rkiye and Syria. In 1939, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, the largest ever recorded in T?rkiye, struck Erzincan Province in the northeast, killing about 30,000 people.

T?rkiye is located on the Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt and is one of the countries where earthquakes frequently occur. The collision of four major tectonic plates?the Eurasian Plate, Arabian Plate, African Plate, and Anatolian Plate?creates the North Anatolian Fault and East Anatolian Fault, leading to frequent strong earthquakes. This recent major earthquake occurred on the East Anatolian Fault, where earthquakes are relatively less frequent. The USGS stated, "Currently, earthquakes are occurring on the East Anatolian fault system," and predicted, "Aftershocks will continue in the junction area where the Anatolian, Arabian, and African plates collide."