Where Not to Buy or Rent a Home in Turkey: The well-known geophysicist lists high-risk areas and highlights safe across Turkey

After the devastating earthquakes on February 6 centered in Kahramanmaraş, concerns about major seismic risks continue to affect the entire country. While Balıkesir’s Sındırgı district has recently experienced a series of quakes, another magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit the Greek Cypriot Administration just yesterday.

Geophysical Engineer Prof. Dr. Övgün Ahmet Ercan shared a detailed message on his social media account, listing numerous cities and districts where he strongly advises people not to buy property or rent a home due to earthquake risks.

With a clear warning tone, Ercan said that people should avoid settling in these areas, emphasizing that both purchasing and renting should be reconsidered. He also shared regions he considers to be safe.

Ercan’s explanation stressed that in many districts of Istanbul, Izmir, Aegean and Marmara plains, as well as several major Anatolian cities, multi-story buildings constructed on soft, water-saturated, fertile agricultural land dramatically amplify ground shaking. According to him, these areas can triple or even quintuple the seismic impact, causing violent swaying and increasing the risk of collapse for vulnerable structures. His advice is direct: avoid renting or purchasing homes in such locations and always ask for the official ground-structure safety certificate of any building under consideration.

In response to a user asking which areas remain safe to live in, Prof. Ercan pointed to the Black Sea coastal line from Artvin to Kırklareli, the entirety of Southeastern Anatolia and Central Anatolia, as well as the broader Trakya region and Ankara. He highlighted these as the safest regions in Turkey. Still, he reminded everyone that earthquakes themselves do not kill; what does the real damage is the resonance between ground motion and structurally weak buildings.

Fethiye was included on Prof. Dr. Övgün Ahmet Ercan’s “high-risk areas” list — not because all of Fethiye is unsafe, but because much of the settlement sits on soft, alluvial coastal soil, which can strongly amplify shaking during a major earthquake.

Why Ercan lists Fethiye among risky areas

Fethiye lies near active fault systems in the Mediterranean, and several neighborhoods are built on water-saturated, loose ground. According to Ercan’s explanation, multi-story buildings on this type of soil can experience three to five times stronger shaking, plus additional resonance effects that may increase collapse risk if the structure is not designed and inspected properly.

Does this mean all of Fethiye is unsafe?
No. Like many coastal towns in Turkey, Fethiye has mixed zones:

• Alluvial lowlands and filled areas → Higher amplification and risk
• Hillsides, rocky ground, elevated zones → Generally safer if construction quality is good

If you are considering living or buying in Fethiye
Ercan’s advice still applies:

• Ask for the Yer–Yapı Güvenlik Belgesi (Ground–Structure Safety Certificate)
• Prefer buildings on rocky or elevated terrain
• Avoid structures built on reclaimed land or deep alluvial soil

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