Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu announced on Tuesday that Türkiye, for the first time, will launch a nationwide drill against earthquakes simultaneously in 81 provinces.
Addressing Disaster Communications Workshop in the capital Ankara, Soylu said the drill will be held at 6:57 p.m. on Nov. 12, the exact time of an earthquake of 7.2, which hit the northern province of Düzce in 1999 and killed hundreds of people. He said the announcements would be made by TV and radio stations across the country through an automated disaster warning.
Soylu noted it will be a simple drill for millions, involving three basic rules of survival at the moment of an earthquake: Drop, Cover and Hold On. The drill message will be sent through a central warning system and will be available “within few minutes it was sent,” Soylu said.
Türkiye, particularly the big cities in the west, is under constant risk of earthquakes due to a number of fault lines crisscrossing the country. Thus, disaster preparedness is vital for the country, which saw an overhaul of plans against future disasters after the Gölcük earthquake, which preceded the Düzce earthquake a few months and claimed thousands of lives.
Authorities work on a nationwide early warning system against disasters. Recently, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) sent warnings to cellphone users in the Marmara and Black Sea regions against possible dangers ahead of heavy rainfall.
