27 March | 17:00-18:30 | Spui 25 Amsterdam | Onsite & Online

A panel discussion with Enno Maessen (Turkey Studies Network), Zeynep Koban (University of Amsterdam), Zeynep Kaşlı (Erasmus University), Burcu Köken (TU Delft), Sherwan Qasem (Médecins sans Frontières) and Uğur Üngör (NIOD/University of Amsterdam). Moderation: Beste İşleyen (University of Amsterdam).

The two disastrous earthquakes that struck Turkey, Syria, and Kurdistan on February 6 were not isolated incidents. It is clear that this was not simply a natural disaster, but a catastrophe created by corruption, the erosion of institutions and politicization of disaster prevention. The inadequacy of mitigation measures, failure to implement regulations for safe urban planning, fraudulent construction practices, and lack of investments on emergency response made a preventable destruction inevitable.

Other major earthquakes that took place in the region in the last two decades had already revealed this systematic negligence, yet the lack of responsibility and action the Turkish government took over the years exposed their policy of choosing profit over protecting human lives. There are numerous cases of corruption related to public and private contracts, the use of substandard materials, and non-compliance with regulations. With many of the affected populations having been historically and systemically neglected, repressed and displaced, the tragic aftermath is the result of a series of political decisions rather than mere incompetence. Individuals, organizations and political parties who protest and attempt to expose state crimes and corruption have been, and still are being threatened and imprisoned. With the Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections coming up, it is imperative to reflect on the past and discuss the political implications of this catastrophe.