Türkiye holds first nationwide earthquake drill

We cannot prevent an earthquake but can minimize loss of life and property, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, minutes before the country conducted a nationwide drill to promote emergency preparedness and response.

The exercise was held in Türkiye's 81 provinces and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus at 6:57 pm local time (1557 GMT) local time to mark the 23rd anniversary of a deadly earthquake in the Turkish city of Duzce.

Citizens received an audible alert on their phones, along with a SMS notification in Turkish and English.

The alert read: "This is an AFAD earthquake drill announcement. At the moment, drop-cover-hold on drill of moment of earthquake is being carried out all over the country." 

Announcements were also made in mosques, municipalities and on TV and radio stations.

"We expect you to participate in the exercise voluntarily and test your reflexes and the reflexes of your environment against a possible earthquake," Erdogan said in a video message earlier.

"I believe that with the few minutes you will devote to this exercise, we will gain an experience that will add a lifetime to our lives together."

Noting that scientists agree that the possibility of major earthquakes is increasing in Türkiye, he said: "Yes, it is not possible to prevent an earthquake, but it is in our hands to take measures to prevent loss of life and property."

READ MORE: Türkiye marks 21 years since catastrophic Marmara earthquake

Bitter past experiences

Erdogan said Türkiye learned from bitter experiences of the past and now has an integrated disaster management strategy, which has been created with coordination of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

The plan consists of three stages, including pre-disaster preparedness and risk reduction, response during disaster and recovery after disaster.

"For this reason, we declared 2020 the year of preparedness for disasters, 2021 the year of disaster education, and this year the year of disaster exercises," he added.

On November 12, 1999, Duzce was rocked by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that lasted 30 seconds, killing 710 people and injuring 2,679.

Duzce earthquake came after the August 17, 1999 earthquake which hit Türkiye's northwestern city of Izmit and killed 18,373 people and injured 23,781 with its 7.6 magnitude, according to official figures from the AFAD.

READ MORE: Major earthquakes to hit Türkiye in recent decades