The question of whether the Turkish metropolis Istanbul is threatened by a new strong earthquake in the coming years has divided Turkish scientists at a time when the region of Western Turkey continues to shake after the 6.1-magnitude earthquake on August 11 in this part of the country, writes BTA.
Scientists have long predicted that a strong earthquake with a magnitude of over 7 on the Richter scale can be expected in the Marmara Sea region, which also includes Istanbul. The topic has become particularly relevant again after the 6.1-magnitude earthquake in the Balıkesir district, in which one person died in a collapsed residential building. The earthquake was also felt in Istanbul and other surrounding districts, as well as in Bulgaria. Since then, the region has been experiencing increased seismic activity, with another earthquake measuring 4 on the Richter scale being recorded at noon today.
However, scientists are not unanimous in their assessments of the risk of an upcoming strong earthquake for Istanbul, with a population of over 16 million.
According to the famous Turkish geologist and seismologist Prof. Naci Görüş, quoted by the Haberler website, the probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.2 in Istanbul is very high. He drew attention to the danger of the North Anatolian Fault, one of the most active faults in the world, which, according to him, causes a major earthquake every 250 years or so. This deadline, Professor Görür pointed out, has already expired, since the last major earthquake occurred in 1766.
"You can pray as much as you want, but you cannot stop this mechanism. Earthquakes happen according to the immutable laws of nature," he said. According to the scientist, the greatest risk in the event of a strong earthquake will be for the European part of Istanbul.
His opinion contradicts the previously expressed position of another famous Turkish seismologist - Professor Şener Üşumezsoy, who says that there is no risk for at least a hundred years to come, and the residents of Istanbul can sleep peacefully.
"I may have said it a thousand times, I'm tired already. "There is no fault in Istanbul that can rupture," he said, defending the thesis that the city will not be affected by an earthquake for at least the next century.
According to him, Istanbul is "the city in Turkey where you can sleep most peacefully without fear of earthquakes," Turkish media reported.