Property damage from earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye exceeds $105 billion

Property damage from earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye is two trillion Turkish liras (over $105 billion).

The Ministry of Finance said that this amount shows that the damage and losses caused by the February disaster are six times more than those in 1999 as a result of the earthquake in the Marmara Sea, according to TRT Haber.

“This figure corresponds to nine per cent of the expected national income for 2023,” the statement said.

Two powerful earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in southeastern Türkiye on February 6, tremors devastated neighbouring countries, including Syria. Turkish authorities called the earthquake “the disaster of the century”.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on March 13 that more than 6,600 foreigners, mostly Syrian citizens, lost their lives in the earthquakes in Türkiye. A total of 48,448 people died.