IBB executive makes statement on expected Marmara earthquake: “National security problem”

Buğra Gökçe, Deputy Secretary General of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), said in an interview with Reuters, “The Marmara earthquake should be considered as a national security problem, preparations should be made accordingly.”

Buğra Gökçe, Deputy Secretary General of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), stated that one of the most risky regions in all of Turkey, where earthquake measures were re-introduced after the Kahramanmaraş disaster, was the Marmara Region, hosting about 25 million people, and said that the expected earthquake here should be considered as a national security problem.

IBB TO MAKE PRIORITY CHANGE AND REVIEW BUDGET

Stating that all institutions should consider their preparations from this point of view, Gökçe said that they had accelerated their work from building controls to infrastructure works with the support of the Chamber of Civil Engineers as the IBB. Gökçe stated that as for the financing for earthquake preparations, as the IBB, they were reviewing the entire budget and a priority change would be made.

MARMARA REGION REALIZES 41 PERCENT OF GDP

After the Kahramanmaraş-based earthquakes, attention was turned to the Marmara earthquake, which scientists had been warning about for many years. According to TURKSTAT data, the share of gross domestic product of Istanbul, Tekirdağ, Edirne, Kırklareli Balıkesir, Çanakkale, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce and Yalova in the Marmara Region, which is 2 trillion TL in 2021, corresponds to 41 percent. Of GDP

IBB mayor President Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to make a press statement tomorrow, about the preparations for the expected Istanbul earthquake.