Türkiye: ‘Destiny of Geography’ Shakes The Earth Again

Rescuers search for victims after the quake that struck Türkiye. AFP
Rescuers search for victims after the quake that struck Türkiye. AFP
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Türkiye: ‘Destiny of Geography’ Shakes The Earth Again

Rescuers search for victims after the quake that struck Türkiye. AFP
Rescuers search for victims after the quake that struck Türkiye. AFP

It is common for Türkiye to witness earthquakes because its geographical location makes it a hotbed of seismic activity. Still, the new thing that occurred at dawn on Monday was the destructive force of two earthquakes that struck the transcontinental nation, in addition to numerous seismic aftershocks.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake had hit Türkiye’s southeast, hours later another 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit its center. These earthquakes and their aftershocks were felt by several countries in the Middle East.

A few days ago, many specialists predicted these earthquakes happening in Türkiye.

Farouk Okakoglu, a geological engineering professor at the Eskişehir Osmangazi University, said that in seismically active regions such as Türkiye, scientists have statistical models to study the frequency of earthquakes.

Experts can approximate which region will be witnessing earthquakes and they can predict the quake’s strength.

“The expected magnitude was no more than 7.1:7.3 magnitude, which is six times weaker than what happened,” Okakoglu told Asharq Al-Awsat about the recent earthquake that hit both Türkiye and neighboring Syria.

“These two large quakes were completely unexpected for domestic and foreign seismologists,” he explained.

Okakoglu defended the work of seismology experts in Türkiye but said that what had happened proves that the science is still in its “crawling stage.”

According to international studies, about 98% of Türkiye is exposed to earthquakes. About a third of the country is at high risk, including the areas surrounding main cities like Istanbul and Izmir.

In Türkiye, people use the word “coğrafyakaderdir” to denote “the destiny of geography.”

Sherif Al-Hadi, head of the earthquake department at the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), explains to Asharq Al-Awsat that most of Türkiye is located on what is known as the “Anatolian tectonic plate.”

“This plate lies between the Eurasian and the African-Arab plates, and leaves Türkiye standing on several fault lines,” said Al-Hadi.



Pro-Palestinian Activists Due to Appear Court after Damaging Planes at RAF Base

Demonstrators look on during a protest after British lawmakers voted to ban pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, outside Downing Street in London, Britain, July 2, 2025. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett
Demonstrators look on during a protest after British lawmakers voted to ban pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, outside Downing Street in London, Britain, July 2, 2025. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett
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Pro-Palestinian Activists Due to Appear Court after Damaging Planes at RAF Base

Demonstrators look on during a protest after British lawmakers voted to ban pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, outside Downing Street in London, Britain, July 2, 2025. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett
Demonstrators look on during a protest after British lawmakers voted to ban pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, outside Downing Street in London, Britain, July 2, 2025. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

Four people are set to appear in a London courtroom on Thursday over charges connected with an incident in which pro-Palestinian protesters damaged two Royal Air Force planes with red paint and crowbars.

The charges come after the group Palestine Action said two of its members entered RAF Brize Norton on June 20 and used electric scooters to approach two Voyager jets used for air-to-air refueling. The protesters used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray paint into the planes’ jet engines and caused further damage with crowbars, according to the group, which released video footage of the incident, The Associated Press said.

The four, all between the ages of 22 and 35, are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the UK, counter-terror police said in a statement. The Crown Prosecution Service will argue that that the offenses have a “terrorist connection,” police said.

Palestine Action has claimed responsibility for a series of incidents targeting Israeli defense contractors in the UK and other sites linked to the war in Gaza. Following the incident at RAF Brize Norton, the government introduced legislation to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. The measure means it will be a criminal offense to belong to or support the group, with a maximum of 14 years in prison.

Palestine Action rejects that assertion, saying its protests are designed to end international support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

Planes from Brize Norton, 70 miles (112 kilometers) northwest of London, regularly fly to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Britain’s main air base for operations in the Middle East.