Government plans to introduce special law for İstanbul's earthquake preparedness

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The minister of environment, urbanization, and climate change has warned that a magnitude 7 or higher earthquake in İstanbul would "reduce 600 thousand apartments to rubble."

Experts widely agree that the metropolis of 15 million people is at imminent risk of such a seismic event.

Describing the potential devastation, Özhaseki stated, "Imagine two buildings collapsing on every street; transportation would halt, infrastructure would crumble, and gas supply would be disrupted. İstanbul would turn into a massive prison."

"Reserve areas"

Özhaseki further revealed that out of the 5.8 million independent residential units in İstanbul, around 1.5 million are considered risky. To address this issue, the government plans to construct approximately 350 thousand new residences in designated "reserve areas."

Additionally, the minister mentioned the intent to draft a special law for the city. He said, "If we finish this promptly, we don't really intend to wait for the parliament to convene and discuss the budget.

"Due to the urgency, we are considering calling for an extraordinary session of the parliament within 1-2 months to introduce new laws regarding İstanbul's urban transformation and earthquake preparedness."

The concept of "reserve areas," which has been discussed by government officials for some time, encompasses the city's northern rural and forested regions, some of which overlap with the planned route of the "Canal İstanbul" project. This project aims to create an artificial waterway parallel to the Bosphorus Strait, connecting the Black Sea in the north to the Marmara Sea in the south.

However, critics of the canal project have raised concerns about the environmental consequences of its construction, as well as the significant reduction of forested areas and potential risks to freshwater resources in the city's north if urbanization proceeds in those regions. (RT/VK)