Kandilli Observatory Director: Maras is the safest place for the next 500 years

Director of Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Professor Dr. Haluk Ozener, stated that "Actually, Maras is the safest place for the next 500 years. Another 500 years would need to pass for an earthquake of that magnitude to happen again."

A seminar titled "What We Know and Don't Know About Earthquakes" was organized in collaboration with the Melikgazi Municipality and Kandilli Observatory.

The Director of Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute Professor Dr. Haluk Ozener also attended the seminar held at the Melikgazi Municipality Cultural Center.

Professor Ozener said that Maras is the safest place in terms of earthquakes for the next 500 years.

"KAYSERI IS NOT HIGH ON THE LIST OF EARTHQUAKE SUSCEPTIBLE AREAS"

Professor Ozener said, "When we look at the psychology of our people, perhaps you are also in the same state of mind, people cannot enter shops or malls. People are going towards the psychology of whether a small earthquake will turn into a big earthquake, whether it will end soon, or if there will be an earthquake tomorrow. People are following [this agenda] so much that even the 2.9 magnitude earthquakes that no one used to care about before trigger thoughts of 'Is a big earthquake coming?' Please rid yourselves of this thought. This does not mean being complacent. Kayseri is not high on the list of earthquake [susceptible areas]."

"ANOTHER 500 YEARS WOULD NEED TO PASS FOR AN EARTHQUAKE OF THAT MAGNITUDE TO HAPPEN AGAIN”

Ozener continued with the following statement:

“Kayseri is in modest places in terms of earthquake ranking. There is Marmara, and different places in Eastern Anatolia [that rank higher]. Kayseri is not very prioritized in terms of earthquakes. And it is not so much ahead in research. Just as it is wrong to say that there will be no earthquake in 2045, it is also wrong to say that this fault line will produce a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Our journalist friend asked a question a little while ago, saying ‘Everyone is now running away from Maras.’ In fact, Maras is the safest place for the next 500 years. Another 500 years would need to pass for an earthquake of that magnitude to happen again.”