Hope and fear in Turkey after the devastating earthquake

Hope and fear in Turkey after the devastating earthquake

Volunteers clear rubble in Izmir. (AFP)

The deadly earthquake that struck Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city, last Friday, left unforgettable images on many people’s minds. More than 100 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which was felt by residents of as far away as Athens and Istanbul, was followed by a partial tsunami that swept through a number of towns on the Aegean coast. At least 17 buildings collapsed, but after more than two days of shock waves, as hope of finding more survivors faded under the rubble, two small hands were seen waving from the debris – which made us believe in miracles, perhaps. 65 hours after the earthquake, the three-year-old girl, Elif, becomes the 106th person to be saved. The astonishing image of her little fingers tightly clinging to the Savior’s hand has touched the hearts of many people – myself included – who will never forget her. “It was a great gift for all of us,” said the rescuer, who embraced Elif’s head and kissed her teary cheeks. In a message posted on Twitter, Turkish Health Minister Fakhruddin Kuja praised the rescue teams, saying, “Saving Elif gave hope and courage in our struggle to save lives. Life has triumphed again.” The rescue of Elif has indeed given hope to the whole of Turkey that, even after three days There might be more people clinging to life. There was a four-year-old girl pulled from the rubble alive, 91 hours from the earthquake. Aida, with beautiful green eyes, lost her mother in the earthquake but her father was rescued One day before that, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a message posted on his Twitter account, “The name of the miracle is Aida.” “Thank God we got a new hope after 91 hours with your smiling eyes.” The man who rescued Aida said he had a child of the same soul. Like many other heroic rescuers, he traveled to Izmir from East Anatolia to join efforts to help the city’s residents heal their pain.Photos of these two young, but powerful survivors, Aida and Alef, appeared on the front pages of newspapers, as social media users shared Photos using the hashtag #HalaUmutVar, which translates as “There is still hope”. Earthquakes are not uncommon in Turkey, which is located on active fault lines and is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Unfortunately, they are part of life in the country that has suffered devastating tremors in the past. Studies have found that more than 95 percent of the country is earthquake-prone. It can occur at any time, often in densely populated areas. The Izmir disaster once again raised fears of a major earthquake hitting Istanbul or anywhere, and I remember the earthquake that struck the Marmara region in 1999, in which about 17,000 people were killed. It was a horrific incident that would always be on my mind, as it is for many people in Turkey. My family and I were visiting the country on a summer vacation and we were in Bursa, a city near Istanbul, when the earthquake struck. We had to sleep on the streets for several days. Some people were in tents, and in those days there was no social media to spread awareness of what was happening. This is probably a good thing, because you will not be surprised to hear that, in the wake of the Izmir tragedy, social media in Turkey is again polarized due to the fierce debates between conservatives and secularists. Some extremists said that Izmir is a city of non-believers, and that its people are therefore “punished” by the earthquake. Those who shared such views were arrested, according to the Ministry of the Interior, and others criticized the authorities and demanded to know what happened to all of the money raised by the national earthquake tax, which was imposed after the 1999 earthquake and is supposed to be used to finance earthquake protection measures.

Lessons must be learned from these tragic events so that we do not face worse tragedies in the future.

Sinem Genghis

On the other hand, the Izmir Prosecutor’s Office said that nine people were arrested in connection with building collapses. This is a correct and welcome decision and should serve as an example for others. In addition, Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday approved a proposal to form an investigation committee, after accepting a proposal from five political parties to implement measures aimed at preventing damage from earthquakes. During the Consultative Council meeting of the House of Representatives, the deputy heads of political parties agreed to merge and discuss the proposals. This came after the opposition parties complained that the ruling party had rejected several proposals to discuss measures to protect against earthquakes in previous years, and lessons must be learned from these tragic events so that we do not face worse tragedies in the future. The power to prevent this from happening is in our hands.

Sinim Genghis is a Turkish political analyst specializing in Turkey’s relations with the Middle East. Twitter: SinemCngz

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Arab News

.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos