Turkey Earthquake Death Toll Exceeds 10,000... Outrage Over Inadequate Response

Turkey Introduces 'Earthquake Tax' Since 1999
Istanbul Stock Exchange Halts Trading After 24 Years

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] The death toll from the consecutive strong earthquakes measuring 7.8 and 7.5 in T?rkiye (Turkey) and Syria has surpassed 10,000 as of the 8th (local time).

According to AFP news agency, the number of deaths caused by the earthquakes in T?rkiye and Syria has exceeded 11,200. Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, President of T?rkiye, announced on the third day after the earthquake that the death toll in T?rkiye had risen to 8,574. In Syria, the combined death toll reported by the authorities and the rebel rescue team 'White Helmets' has surpassed 2,500.

On the 6th (local time), residents in Osmaniye, southern Turkey, are moving to shelters to escape the earthquake. (Photo by Yonhap News)

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) released a new report on the same day, estimating a 14% chance that the death toll from this earthquake could exceed 100,000. The probability of deaths ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 is 30%, and from 1,000 to 10,000 is estimated at 35%. Previously, the USGS had reported a 0% chance of the death toll exceeding 100,000.

The World Health Organization (WHO) forecasted the day before that in the worst-case scenario, the death toll could exceed 20,000.

In Hatay Province, one of the hardest-hit areas in T?rkiye, citizens are unable to return home and are sleeping on the streets, uncertain when another earthquake might strike.

President Erdo?an declared 10 out of T?rkiye’s 81 provinces affected by the earthquake as disaster zones and announced a state of emergency for three months the day before.

However, complaints have emerged from the affected areas about the slow pace of rescue operations by authorities and the lack of proper equipment.

According to reports from AFP and BBC, residents in the affected areas have expressed frustration, particularly mentioning the 'earthquake tax' collected by the authorities.

T?rkiye introduced the earthquake tax after the devastating northwest earthquake in 1999, which killed about 17,000 people, to be used for earthquake prevention and disaster response. AFP estimates that T?rkiye has collected a total of 88 billion lira (approximately 5.9 trillion won) from the earthquake tax so far.

Although the Turkish authorities stated that the earthquake tax would be used to improve earthquake prevention and emergency services, BBC reported that they have not disclosed specifically where and how the tax revenue has been spent.

Residents of Gaziantep claim that after the first earthquake struck in the early morning of the 6th, rescue teams did not arrive at the site for 12 hours. There are also reports that the rescue teams who arrived late in the evening worked only for a few hours before leaving.

President Erdo?an, who has been in power for 20 years, visited the heavily affected southern region on the same day to appease the angry public ahead of the early presidential election scheduled for May, emphasizing that "what is needed now is unity."

The T?rkiye earthquake occurred at 4:17 a.m. on the 6th, about 33 km inland from the southern city of Gaziantep, at a depth of 17.9 km. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck first, followed by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake 9 hours later, 59 km north-northeast of Kahramanmara?.

The Borsa Istanbul stock exchange halted trading on the same day to prevent further declines in the index. This is the first time the Turkish stock market has closed in 24 years since the 1999 T?rkiye earthquake.