Building a Strong and Safe Future Is Everyone's Responsibility

On the anniversary of the earthquakes that occurred on 6 February 2023 and deeply shook Turkey, the losses caused by the disaster are being remembered with sorrow once again. The destruction experienced and the lives lost bring into focus the reality that Turkey is an earthquake-prone country and the vital importance of safe construction.

Agah Durukal, General Manager of Türk Ytong, emphasized that 6 February is not only a day of commemoration but also a day of recalling responsibilities. "We experienced tremendous suffering. We cannot bring back our losses, but we can prevent repeating the same mistakes. Turkey is an earthquake-prone country; we cannot prevent earthquakes but we can prevent loss of life through earthquake-resistant structures. The way to do this is through proper soil surveys, correct design, effective supervision, compliance with standards, and the use of qualified and quality building materials."

Agah Durukal drew attention to Turkey's strong engineering expertise, technical capacity and production capability. He stated that this potential would gain meaning through an approach centered on the earthquake reality: "Turkey has the accumulated knowledge to sign important projects in different geographies of the world and a strong construction sector. We have world-standard production capacity, high engineering knowledge and experience. On the other hand, all this accumulated knowledge will not be sufficient as long as we do not prioritize the earthquake reality when planning our cities. Scientific approach, rational planning, the use of correct and quality materials, and full compliance with regulations are of vital importance."

Earthquake resistance, fire safety, energy efficiency should be the standard for our cities
Noting that the urban transformation process should not be seen merely as building renovation, Durukal drew attention to a holistic approach: "In the planning of our cities and settlements, alongside earthquake resistance, factors such as fire safety, energy efficiency and building lifespan should also be considered. Lightweight building materials reduce earthquake loads and decrease the effects on the load-bearing system. Non-combustible and high-performance materials play a critical role both in terms of life safety and building safety. Correct and quality material selection is insurance for life."

Industrial structures should also be a priority
Drawing attention to Turkey's strong manufacturing sector, Durukal emphasized that not only residential buildings but also industrial structures need to be addressed in terms of earthquake safety: "Manufacturing facilities, factories and industrial structures carry major risks in a potential earthquake in terms of both worker safety and economic continuity. Large-scale damage leads not only to loss of life but also to production stoppage and deepening economic losses. Creating disaster-resilient industrial infrastructure is one of the basic conditions for sustainable development."

Safe cities are our shared responsibility
Stating that Türk Ytong has been raising awareness against disasters for many years, Durukal concluded his remarks as follows: "Fully complying with current earthquake regulations is both a major responsibility and a civic duty. We all have roles to play in this. As Türk Ytong, we are obliged to develop and produce quality, durable, safe and high-standard products. We dedicate all our efforts to developing and producing building materials at world standards. Beyond that, we share our knowledge and experience in every field, from academic platforms to construction sites. We support education in all areas. The way to avoid experiencing 6 February again is to build structures in compliance with regulations and in a safer manner. This is our shared responsibility."