Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) ‪President Carlo Doglioni told Italian daily Corriere Della Serra, “The Arabian plate has moved about 3 meters in a northeast-southwest direction regarding the Anatolian plate. Everything happened in 30-40 seconds. It is like Turkey moved.”

What does it mean that “Türkiye moved 3 meters”?

How can one explain the destructiveness of an earthquake – dubbed the “disaster of the century” – to those who were not there? We need to fully comprehend the extraordinariness of disaster.

Almost all experts said they were not expecting an earthquake of this size and intensity. In the past it would be reported that “an earthquake happened in province a, it was felt in proinces b, c, and d.” This one was like 10 different earquakes of the same intensity happening simultaneously in 10 different provinces. Syria is on the border with Türkiye, it is not out of the ordinary to be felt there, but this was felt in Israel and Cairo as well! Disasters are naturally extraordinary, but this is something else.

Note that Prof. Övgün Ahmet Ercan said, “Something extraordinary is happening. No such earthquake of this kind as been seen on the face of the earth.”

Cases of this sort are intriguing for scientists. Though we can also observe that they are all surprised. It is obvious none of them were mistaken regarding the possibility of an upcoming earthquake in the region. But the way it happened has puzzled them as well.

Additionally, we need to separately note Japanese seismologist Yoshinori Moriwaki statement, “The intensity of earthquakes in Turkey in the last three years are increasing,” and contemplate.

Siesmologist Tina Larsen, a senior researcher with the National Geological Surveys of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) said, “The large earthquake in Turkey was clearly recorded on seismographs in Denmark and Greenland. The waves from the earthquake reached the seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm approximately five minutes after the shaking started. Eight minutes after the earthquake, the shaking reached the east coast of Greenland, propagating further through all of Greenland."

We can in President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement too yesterday the signs of extraordinariness/area of impact: “Experts are describing these two earthquakes as exceptional plate movements, which are independent but triggered one another, like no other example in the world. Both earthquakes were around a magnitude of 7, which multiplied the intensity of the destruction. The witdh of the faults caused much greater destruction in a vaster area compared to other [earthquakes of a] similar [intensity.] Hence, we are facing one of the biggest disasters not only in our Republican history, but in our region and the world.”

The struggle against earthquakes consists roughly of two processes. Pre-earthquake preparations, and post-earthquake intervention. We already knew our awareness was weak in terms of living with earthquakes, and that we were slow to regulate especially living spaces in accordance with this reality. However, we need to say, in reference to the post-earthquake intervention following an earthquake like no other in the world that impacted 13.5 million people, Türkiye was caught by this strange earthquake at a time when it was most prepared in its history. But our preparations were for the “aftermath.”

This is not to say everything was perfect. There is a difference between “incompetence” and “inadequacy.” No power anywhere in the world can intervene effectively and simultaneously in every area of such a disaster. It cannot pay full and simultaneous attention to thousands of buildings – in fact, tens of thousands according to some other reports. Furthermore, harsh winter conditions, the blow on energy sources, water and food demands, in the simplest term, toilet needs, the massive needs of communication and correspondence means cannot be met with good organization alone.

Like the fire that broke out yesterday at İskenderun Port when containers toppled over in the earthquake, how could the “secondary” disasters that followed be calculated?

Of course, none of these realities are important “for the time being.” We are not even at the point of binding up the wounds of a fresh earthquake yet. Thousands of people need to be rapidly rescued from under the wrecks, and the needs of those alive need to be met. This is our priority.

There is a malevolent mass in Türkiye for a while now, and they have devoted their existence to harm this country and nation. They have risen from their quagmires once again. They show their presence mostly through social media. They are a mob who occupy and mislead aid teams with false alarms, causing people to die, and worst of all, mock them and laugh.

Security forces are trying to fight them, and catch them too. However, consciences need to be satisfied in terms of the punishment they receive.

It is not enough that they are penalized in court for “occupying help lines unnecessarily.” Laws need to overcome this. The judiciary “ruling on behalf of the Turkish nation” must teach a lesson for all those who tarnish this country and nation’s values. We need to see these rats receive the punishment they deserve.

Surely political integrity is extremely important. Up until the earthquake, Türkiye was under the increasingly heating conditions of the election process – which is normal. However, now, we are in a state of emergency, and everybody needs to show both our people and the world that we are united. There is always a time for political discussions. Making the disaster a part of this showdown, in fact, seeing it as an opportunity, will only harm the country, our nation. Failing to understand this, exploiting it is not something our people can applaud.

The psycho-political caused by the earthquake might initially create the illusion that it is a bright idea to build the “opposition argument” based on the destruction. Just note that no opposition can rise over thousands of deaths!

In conclusion, there is no doubt that Türkiye’s “total power” is enough to overcome this catastrophe. We will overcome this too – taking the necessary lessons. As for us, as individuals, we must turn everything in our power into help for all our brothers and sisters.

May God protect Türkiye and our people.