The earthquake on February 6 was the largest since 1939, affecting many. Not a single apartment or villa sold by Expert Property was damaged, thanks to the right choice of developers and locations, however, our team took part in the aftermath as volunteers.

We decided to publish not just a report on our activities within the framework of corporate social responsibility, but to summarize the preliminary results for the real estate industry. We will also briefly tell you about the safest locations in Turkey in terms of seismic risks – these are Antalya, Alanya and Finike.

Preliminary results of what happened

At the time of writing this article, we can already say with full confidence that the earthquake on February 6 was the most destructive in Turkey in a century. Despite the fact that the cataclysm covered only the southeastern provinces of the state (in other regions, tremors were felt, but without destruction), the entire population rallied to overcome it.

You can even say – the whole world. After all, people and organizations from more than three dozen countries provided assistance. For the sake of helping the victims, the largest international rescue team in history was created. Thousands of specialists from all over the world quickly arrived in the country to provide assistance.

Many warring peoples even postponed their feuds for a while and helped Turkey. Thus, not only traditionally friendly Azerbaijanis, but also Armenians, as well as Greeks, with whom the Turks have historically difficult relations, sent their help and rescuers.

Large rescue teams and tons of aid were sent by Russians and Ukrainians at the same time. The latter, moreover, arrived not just numbering 80 people (they came to help, although hostilities continue at home), but with a whole “landing” of ten experienced rescue dogs. Even rescuers from war-torn Libya and other troubled African states have arrived.

The Turkic states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the aforementioned Azerbaijan and others – provided, of course, the greatest assistance to the kindred people. The Turkish diaspora of Kazakhs, Azerbaijanis, Tatars and other peoples, many of whom are no longer in the first generation living in Turkey, was also very active.

The “new Turks” did not stand aside – immigrants from non-Turkic states of the CIS, such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, who helped together with the rest of the local residents in the rubble and in raising funds for the victims.

Antalya became one of the key centers for helping victims, where a dozen aid reception points and volunteer centers were created. Turks, Russians, Ukrainians, Kazakhstanis and other foreigners together collected warm clothes, medicines and everything they needed, stood in line at blood collection points.

We, as representatives of this category of compatriots, as well as the business industry, also made every effort to help the victims. More on this in the next block.

The role of society and the contribution of the Expert Group

Every citizen and company helped as much as they could and continue today. So, in just 1 day, $ 6 billion was collected in the country. Donations are a record. Tent camps and temporary housing were quickly erected, food and treatment were established.

A team of volunteers from the Expert Group wasted no time in going to Hatay to organize humanitarian aid points for the victims there and in neighboring locations. We set ourselves the task of helping to begin with the most necessary things – food and water. And also with accommodation. This is not our first volunteer action and we already had experience – Expert Group never stands aside if it can provide effective assistance.

In addition to the direct participation of our volunteers at the scene, the Expert Group team helped with fundraising for specialized foundations (including international ones) that raised money for the victims. We also united around us, albeit a small but active group of caring people who helped on a par with the company’s employees.

Two weeks later, when the first shock has already passed, and instead of urgent assistance, a full-fledged system of mutual assistance has been formed, we continue to provide assistance both to the victims directly and to advise everyone who needs it on our core issues – renting and purchasing residential real estate.

Yes, we did not abandon our many customers, from whom many requests were received during the general confusion of the first days. We helped everyone as much as we could, guided and supported. It is very good to have such a reliable friend as Expert Property in a new country, who will prompt and advise in any, even an emergency.

It should be noted that thanks to the successful choice of locations and high-quality housing from trusted developers, there were no dead or injured during the earthquake among our clients. Both Antalya and Istanbul use modern technologies that protect houses from earthquakes. But about the lessons and conclusions for the industry – in the next section.

Causes and consequences of the disaster

More than two weeks have passed since the disaster. The first shock has passed, and the most large-scale rubble has been dismantled. It’s time to draw the first conclusions from the situation. This will not return the dead, but it will help to understand the reasons so that this does not happen in the future.

Of course, the main reason for the incident was nature itself – the south-east of Turkey is traditionally located in a seismically active zone. As before, we do not recommend these provinces for the purchase of housing by foreigners. And not only because of the earthquakes – the proximity to troubled Syria also adds to the worries.

But if earthquakes there happen periodically, albeit not so large-scale, then why did such global destruction happen this time with tens of thousands of victims? To do this, we need to go back twenty years, to 1999, when another devastating earthquake happened – this time in Istanbul.

Its scale was more modest, but then the authorities adopted new standards for housing construction, designed to protect against earthquakes. And since then, all new housing has been built according to these standards. Plus, after 2010, the standards became even tougher.

Why didn’t these standards help the residents of Hatay in 2023? In fact, they helped – most of the collapsed buildings were erected before 2000, as reported by Turkish media. Buildings of old construction do not have protection from tremors, like modern ones.

New housing survived in most cases even at the epicenter of the earthquake. For the same buildings that could not withstand the tremors, investigative actions are underway, but the authorities preliminarily call the reason for the violation of building codes.

We cannot give unequivocal assessments of these cases until the official investigation is completed. We can only remind you that you can buy housing only from trusted companies with a good reputation. And in the safest regions. If you do not understand this, then we will be happy to advise.

But still, the main reason was that the standards from 1999 are designed for an earthquake of magnitude 7.5. And the tremors on February 6 at the epicenter reached 7.8 points. It is possible that building codes will be revised again.

The conclusion is as follows – if you work with a reliable developer and consciously choose a safe location, then all risks are minimized. And what are the safest locations? Let’s deal with this further.

Antalya and Alanya are the safest locations in Turkey

According to official data, in the entire history of observations in Turkey there was only one earthquake of magnitude 7.9 points – in 1939 in the Erzincan region, which is located near the current epicenter of the disaster in the east of the republic. However, after the 30s, there was not a single earthquake with a magnitude higher than 7.5 points in the country – which formed the basis of construction standards.

Why is it shaking violently there once a century? Because in the south-east of Turkey, three tectonic plates converge at once – Anatolian, Arabian and African. Moreover, the Arabian is moving to the north, forcing the Anatolian to move to the west, where it also collides with another plate in the Balkans region – hence the second hotbed of tremors near Istanbul.

It is not as active as in the area of Hatay and Erzincan, but it can still cause trouble. Nevertheless, the largest metropolis in Europe – Istanbul – continues to exist, grow and develop here. New high-quality housing contributes to this.

And where is the safest? In the very center of the lithospheric plate, away from faults. And this is the province of Antalya. More precisely, quiet and cozy Alanya. It is followed by the capital of the province of the same name, Antalya, and small towns around, such as Finike. In this region, there has not been a single earthquake of magnitude greater than 6 in the entire history of observations. Tremors of 5 points do not lead to destruction.

Yes, these are coastal settlements, so there is some risk of tsunamis and floods. But there is an important nuance here – in order for the tsunami to become truly destructive, the wave needs to “accelerate”. And the Mediterranean Sea is not an ocean. In addition, the epicenter is usually in the east of Turkey – that is, relatively close, which will not allow the wave to accelerate.

This does not mean that there are no tsunamis or floods in southern Turkey. But their strength is not enough to cause destruction comparable to the Japanese, for example, caused by earthquakes of 8-9 points. Turkey is very far from Japan.

On the map of the largest earthquakes, it is clearly seen that on the southern coast – around Antalya – there have never been powerful tremors.

How to protect yourself from earthquakes?

To protect yourself and your loved ones from the underground scourge, you need to follow four simple rules:

1) choose the right region – the province of Antalya is in the top here;

2) purchase only housing built after 1999, and ideally – erected within the last 5 years, after the “modernization” of building standards in the 2000s;

3) do not treat real estate insurance (DASK) lightly and pay it on time;

4) check the reputation of the developer, and even better – hire professionals who will check the company for you and do it incomparably better.

The last third point subtly hints at Expert Property, because over the years in the market we have formed a rich experience of cooperation with different developers and there is a list of trusted companies – and proven in business. We are always in touch and do not abandon customers even after the conclusion of the transaction, offering the most extensive and absolutely free package of after-sales support, covering any household services and consultations, including on seismic threats.

It is also necessary to say a few words about state real estate insurance in Turkey or DASK, which is mandatory. The system also emerged after the 1999 Istanbul earthquake and should complement the system with new building standards.

DASK is designed to protect the interests of citizens through financial compensation for damaged or lost housing. Moreover, it covers not only earthquakes, but also all other natural disasters. The policy is purchased once a year, after which it is renewed annually. By the way, without this policy, local services will refuse to provide you with water and other communications.

To apply for a policy, you will need a TAPU (certificate of ownership of real estate), a tax number (an analogue of TIN in the CIS) and a passport of the owner of the property – you need to make copies of documents and certify them.

For a two-room apartment (1 + 1) per year you will have to pay up to 800 lira + about 200-300 lira for each room. I.e. Housing in the 3 + 1 format will cost an average of 1300 lira, and a small villa – in 2000. At the same time, prices can be very different from the region, year of construction and materials from which the house is built.

How the earthquake will affect the real estate market

Making predictions is a thankless task. However, we already have the experience of past years. Yes, then earthquakes were less destructive, but on the other hand, the housing restoration system has already been established.

According to official data, it will be necessary to clear vast areas in which about 100 million tons of rubble remain. In addition to the 6,000 destroyed houses, another 61,000 buildings are so damaged that they are uninhabitable – they will also be demolished. In their place, new houses and whole new districts will be built – of course, according to modern standards of seismic resistance.

In the same vein, the renovation program is expected to develop and accelerate – the demolition of old housing and the active construction of new safe housing. Already, entire residential areas in Istanbul and other cities are being renovated in this way. This trend is likely to intensify. And these are benefits for builders and investors.

Turkey is known for its construction industry and knows how to build quickly but efficiently. At the same time, the market will now be cleared of “random” companies that built low-quality housing. Actually, it is immediately clear who builds qualitatively and who carelessly, because the result is visible to everyone.

By the way, such a voluminous scale of debris has already led to an increase in the number of companies specializing in the demolition of real estate. Before the earthquake, there were 480 such companies in the country. Now, experts predict growth to 2,000 firms. The demolition of destroyed and damaged buildings can take up to two years, and then up to two more years to rebuild the affected cities and towns.

It is still difficult to say directly about the real estate market, but as the experience of previous earthquakes shows, the market will recover after the shock and is likely to grow again. The only question is how long the market will be in a state of shock – a month, two or a year. But there is no doubt that it will be overcome.

Especially when it comes to housing in Antalya and Alanya, as the safest locations in the country. There, demand is likely to grow in the near future, because many will want to move away from tectonic faults. Low-rise houses and villas in the European part of Turkey and Istanbul are also relevant – of course, only new ones, built according to modern safety standards.

Life after the tragedy

Now the earthquake on February 6 feels like a fresh “wound”. Tens of thousands of dead and injured, large-scale destruction, the search for those responsible for the negligence and unity of the entire nation and foreign friends in an effort to help everyone who needs it. But life goes on.

Time will pass, the rescue operation will be completed, the rubble will be dismantled. People will continue to live, work, rest. And we, the Expert Group team, will continue to help you make the right choice in the field of Turkish real estate. Everything so that you get comfort and profit, but avoid risks and dangers.

If you are looking for accommodation in a safe location or just want to help earthquake victims, then we are happy to help you and advise you – please contact us on our website in any way convenient for you!

Friends, our team wishes you and your loved ones good health and a reliable roof over your head!

You are not alone – after all, Expert Group is always in touch.