Üsküdar University FHSS Dean Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, “Such mass traumas are not forgotten. They are preserved somewhere, in a part of the collective memory.” said.
Head of Sociology Department Prof. Dr. Barış Erdoğan, “There isn't a significant difference between Japan's earthquake regulations and Turkey's earthquake regulations. Their standards are higher because their earthquake risks are higher. However, despite having similar standards, somehow many more people die in earthquakes in our country.”
FHSS History Department Dr. Lecturer Özgün Deniz Yoldaşlar stated, “(Istanbul earthquake) where it will be, when it will be, and how large it will be, this is a subject of debate not only among historians but also among geologists.” said.
FHSS Psychology Department Head Dr. Lecturer Hazal Ayas: “When considered as a natural event, an earthquake is a disaster, but with the ethics caused by human hands, it turns into a catastrophe.”
The online meeting titled “Interdisciplinary Approach to Earthquake” organized by Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS) was held.
Prof. Dr. Arıboğan: “Such mass traumas are not forgotten”
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Üsküdar University FHSS Dean Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, referring to the first anniversary of the February 6th earthquake, which caused mass casualties and severe trauma, said, “Such mass traumas are not forgotten. They are preserved somewhere, in a part of the collective memory.”
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, emphasizing the importance of creating social awareness about earthquakes, stated, “We also lost our students, our relatives. February 6th fell like a fire upon almost every home, every hearth in Turkey.”
Dr. Nihan Kalkandeler Özdin: “We are in a whole of emotions difficult to describe with words”
In her speech, FHSS Deputy Dean Dr. Lecturer Nihan Kalkandeler Özdin stated that pain has been at the center of life since the February 6th earthquakes, saying, “In fact, we are in an unstoppable void and a whole of emotions difficult to describe with words.” Dr. Özdin expressed their desire to approach the earthquake from a historical, sociological, and psychological perspective.
Dr. Özgün Deniz Yoldaşlar: “Earthquake is the destiny of our geography”
From the FHSS History Department, Dr. Lecturer Özgün Deniz Yoldaşlar also pointed out that humanity is a very forgetful being, leaving pains behind and looking to the future, and that the necessary lessons have not been learned from past earthquakes.
Dr. Yoldaşlar, explaining the studies conducted by historians and geologists regarding past Istanbul earthquakes and the anticipated Istanbul earthquake, said, “Earthquake is the destiny of our geography.”
Dr. Lecturer Özgün Deniz Yoldaşlar noted that the place called the Anatolian plate has a very special position, being exactly in the middle of the African and Arabian plates to the south and the Eurasian plate to the north, facing a structure compressed from three, or perhaps even four, sides. “Seismologists say this: if an earthquake has occurred in a place, it will always occur. This actually shows that earthquakes have been happening in this geography for millions of years, and unfortunately, they will continue to happen for millions of years.”
The location and magnitude of the Istanbul earthquake are subjects of debate…
Dr. Lecturer Özgün Deniz Yoldaşlar, also drawing attention to the 1939 Erzincan earthquake and the 1999 Marmara earthquake, explained, “Since we live in Istanbul, there is a part that concerns all of us, which is the empty section right in the middle of the Marmara Sea. This is actually the earthquake we are expecting. Where it will occur, when it will occur, and what its magnitude will be, this is a subject of debate not only among historians but also among geologists.”
Stating that the earthquake known as Kıyamet-i Sura, or the Little Apocalypse, in Istanbul in 1509, or the earthquakes in 1754 or 1766, are not known as faults, Dr. Yoldaşlar said that historians, geologists, seismologists, art historians, and materials experts should come together and work interdisciplinarily on the history of earthquakes.
Prof. Dr. Barış Erdoğan: “Hatay is still in a terrible state. Like a war zone”
Head of the Sociology Department, Prof. Dr. Barış Erdoğan, who participated in the online meeting from Hatay, drew attention to his experiences in the field, saying, “When you see the field, one changes emotionally. When we spoke face-to-face with people, we saw many different dimensions of the earthquake. First, let me say that Hatay is still in a terrible state. Like a war zone. I saw Hatay for the first time after the earthquake. However, they say nothing has changed.”
Prof. Dr. Erdoğan: “Especially middle-aged and older people have started returning to Hatay”
Prof. Dr. Erdoğan stated that very emotional moments were experienced during the commemoration ceremony in Hatay, adding, “But on the other hand, I saw that the people of Hatay were very angry. This anger is directed at both the central government and the local administration. Everyone is very angry, very nervous. Because they say not much has been done for a year.”
Prof. Dr. Erdoğan stated that signs of life in the city have started in the markets, and shops have opened, saying, “I spoke with the shopkeepers. What they said about why this opening began is this: when container cities started to be established, especially middle-aged and older people began to return.” Recalling that those who went to other cities expressed that they could not adapt, settle, or breathe there, Prof. Dr. Barış Erdoğan stated, “They have returned. Thus, the markets have started to become a bit more active. The situation of the elderly seems to be one of the most important problems in the region.”
Prof. Dr. Erdoğan: “An earthquake is inanimate. It’s a natural event, not a living organism”
Prof. Dr. Barış Erdoğan explained that since the elderly were distributed to different container areas, they were subjected to social isolation, and due to this social isolation, some lost their cognitive functions and gradually began to struggle even with their self-care, continuing:
“The earthquake struck, destroyed... Or rather, journalists write it that way. But we need to state this: I think one of our biggest mistakes is that an earthquake doesn't 'strike'. When we say earthquake, it doesn't decide and say, ‘I will kill these people in this region.’ An earthquake is inanimate. It occurs as a result of a rupture in a fault line. In other words, an earthquake is a natural event, not a living organism. It has no cognitive activity, no mind, no attitude against any society, any social class, any nationality, or any religion.
But we humans have an emotional side. Our perception of the earthquake, our management of it; is a result of the society we live in, religious beliefs, culture, and so on.”
There are interesting findings in studies on disaster sociology
Prof. Dr. Erdoğan, noting interesting results in studies related to disaster sociology, said:
“There is a people in Oceania. Due to global warming, waters are rising, and the people living on this island will be submerged in the near future. However, because they believe that, according to the Bible – that is, the beliefs of their religion – there will be no such catastrophe after Noah's Flood, they take no action to protect themselves, to take precautions.
Prof. Dr. Erdoğan: “There isn’t a significant difference between Japan’s earthquake regulations and Turkey’s earthquake regulations”
In our society, too, there is a cultural 'laissez-faire' attitude, a feeling that 'nothing will happen to us,' or thoughts like 'it comes from God, His wrath,' and so on. Whereas, the geography we live in might indeed be a destiny. We are unlucky, but this is not fate. When we think of Japan... Let me tell you something more interesting: there is frankly no significant difference between Japan's earthquake regulations and Turkey's earthquake regulations. The only difference is that their standards are higher because their earthquake risks are higher. Yet, despite having the same standards, somehow many more people die in earthquakes in our country. We need to understand this.”
Prof. Dr. Erdoğan: “There has been no zoning amnesty in Japan to date, but there is in our country”
Prof. Dr. Erdoğan stated that in Turkish culture, family and close circle are considered more important than anything else, and in Japanese culture, communitarianism and family are important rather than individualism, and said:
“There has been no zoning amnesty in Japan to date. But there is in our country. We generally blame politicians for this, but where do these demands for zoning amnesty come from? They come from the people. If they come from the people, then politics responds to them. In other words, Turkish society is still culturally a society with traditional, emotional behavioral patterns. The rationality that modernism speaks of, adherence to written rules, unfortunately, has not yet fully settled. What happens to us is partly due to this.
Prof. Dr. Erdoğan: “A synthesis of traditional and modern ways of thinking and behaving is needed”
Our emotional side is good in a way. After disasters, we know how to unite quickly as a society. We can extend a helping hand to others. But I also think that we often neglect the necessary precautions before a disaster, again because of these emotional behaviors of ours, and because we don't prioritize reason. The point Turkish society needs to reach will be this: emotionality is fine, traditional societal behaviors are good, but I think we also need to synthesize them with modern ways of thinking and behaving.”
Dr. Hazal Ayas: “There are triggers for both primary and secondary trauma survivors”
In her presentation at the meeting, FHSS Psychology Department Head Dr. Lecturer Hazal Ayas noted that anniversaries of traumatic experiences can be as triggering as the traumatic experiences themselves, saying, “I know that there are triggering things for all of us, both for those who primarily experience this trauma and for those who secondarily experience it.”
Dr. Ayas stated that she went to Hatay 40 days after the earthquake to conduct both observations and evaluations, explaining, “The definition of trauma in psychology literature is as follows: ‘an abrupt, extraordinary experience that threatens individuals' bodily integrity, contains death or the threat of death – it doesn't necessarily have to be death itself, a threat is also included – physical or psychological impairment, or both, experienced beyond people's coping abilities.’ Afterwards, traumatic events are categorized. There are natural events, which we define as natural disasters, and there are traumatic experiences caused by human hands.”
Dr. Ayas: “An earthquake turns into a catastrophe with the ethics caused by human hands”
Ayas said, “When considered as a natural event, an earthquake is a disaster, but with the ethics caused by human hands, it turns into a catastrophe.” She added, “Both politicians, social scientists, and scientists frequently use the phrase ‘catastrophe of the century,’ but underlying this catastrophe is actually a combination of both. That is, both the disaster structure of the earthquake, which is fundamentally a natural event, and the part made by human hands, unfortunately with some negligences, turning this loss, this disaster into a catastrophe.”
Ayas stated, “After traumatic events, the main effects appear in the form of some commonly observed symptoms: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and acute stress disorder. So, why do some individuals experience these while not all individuals who experience the same traumatic events do?” She expressed that individuals’ cognitive evaluation of the event and their evaluation mechanisms, social environment, social support, coping skills, and personality traits are influential in this.
Ayas: “I saw a ghost city for the first time in Hatay”
Ayas stated that she saw a ghost city for the first time in Hatay, saying, “Just witnessing it was a terrible event. The horror of it lies here: after a traumatic event, in collectivist societies like ours, where family is important, what happens? Immediately, the funeral home, funeral procedures, close relatives who don't leave the house for 7 or 40 days, food, etc. – all of this suddenly disappeared in Hatay. The survivor, whose apartment was destroyed, lost his entire family, lost his street, lost his neighborhood, lost his city, lost his childhood memories, lost his photo albums, cannot bury the deceased. Even if he finds and buries the deceased, no one can come for condolences, a funeral ceremony is not performed. Therefore, this situation further magnifies the traumatic event.”
Ayas: “The more collective the pain, the more people share it, the heavier it becomes”
Ayas stated that there are scientific studies suggesting that it might be easier to achieve recovery after trauma from natural events, or to be less traumatized by them, compared to traumas caused by human hands. She added, “We also have findings indicating that the healing process for traumatic experiences caused by human hands is longer. But as I said, this earthquake is becoming a bit more complex because it is both a natural event and subsequently turned into a catastrophe due to human negligence. There are many people experiencing the same pain. Therefore, research on trauma also shows us this: the more collective the pain, the more it is shared by more people, the heavier the burden on people becomes, but there are also scientific findings suggesting that the coping process afterwards is somewhat easier in that collective experience with other people.”
Civil solidarity must continue…
Ayas noted that while the emotional burden continues for primary earthquake survivors, anger is more prevalent among secondary survivors, explaining that people were angered by the media statement on the second day of the earthquake, which claimed, ‘there is no rubble we haven't reached.’
Ayas said, “People are saying, ‘We are all aware of its magnitude, no matter how strong a country we are alone, we are all aware that it's impossible to reach all the rubble; our anger was not about why it couldn't be reached, but about the statement 'there is no rubble we couldn't reach' even though no one had entered here.’”
Ayas, emphasizing the importance of civil solidarity, said, “In this process, it is extremely important that we, or civil solidarity organizations, do not withdraw from the region as much as possible.”