The Apr 23 earthquake off the coast of İstanbul left at least 236 people injured in the city and surrounding provinces, according to official statements. Almost all of the injuries were caused by panic-induced actions, particularly people jumping from windows.
A widely circulated video on social media captured one such incident in İstanbul’s Bahçelievler district. In the footage, a young male is seen leaping from the first floor of an apartment building and landing on the roof of a parked car.
The individual was later identified by Ekol TV as Mahmut Kızılarslan. In an interview conducted while he was on crutches with his foot in a cast, the 17-year-old said he acted out of fear due to the poor condition of his building.
“I woke up right when the earthquake hit. I first ran towards the door … I don’t remember anything else from the panic. I almost woke up mid-air,” he told the broadcaster, adding that he hadn’t even noticed the car below when he jumped.
Kızılarslan attributed his reaction to deep-seated earthquake fear.
“The building is really old, 30-40 years. It’s in bad shape. Ever since the earthquakes on Feb 6, I’ve been scared,” he said, referring to the 2023 dual earthquakes that killed over 50,000 people in southern Turkey.
“I don’t know why, but they still haven’t issued an ‘unsafe’ report for the building,” he said, reflecting a widespread issue in İstanbul, where many older structures remain unevaluated despite the looming risk of a major earthquake.
Under Law No. 6306, commonly known as the urban transformation law, a building must either be declared structurally unsound after an authorized assessment or receive the consent of more than half of the property owners to qualify for urban renewal.
However, in neighborhoods where building height restrictions limit redevelopment profits, residents are expected to cover the cost of rebuilding themselves. In low-income areas, many people continue living in potentially unsafe buildings simply because they cannot afford to renew them.
24 April 2025
In contrast, areas with higher zoning allowances, urban transformation projects are more feasible. Apartment owners can each receive a new unit without extra payment, while surplus units are allocated to contractors.
Critics argue that this creates a system where profitable locations are prioritized over high-risk areas in urban renewal.
As a result, although İstanbul has seen extensive urban transformation over the past two decades, a large portion of its building stock remains potentially unsafe.
Authorities do have the legal right to initiate inspections and declare buildings unsafe, but this power is rarely exercised proactively.
Damage projections
İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality estimated in 2019 that around 195,000 buildings could suffer moderate to severe damage in a major earthquake. Of these, 48,000 were expected to be heavily damaged.
Post-2023 assessments using rapid screening methods have suggested even higher figures. Projections now indicate that up to 500,000 buildings may sustain damage in a 7.5-magnitude earthquake.
The city is home to more than 1.1 million buildings, according to municipality figures. Of these, 70.2% were built in or before the year 2000, when new requirements were introduced following the devastating 1999 Kocaeli earthquake.
Some 22% predate 1980, while 47.6% were constructed between 1980 and 2000. (VK)
