A warning from AFAD (the Turkish counterpart of the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergency Situations) turned into a stormy discussion and a certain panic in the Turkish media and social networks: after a new earthquake in Hatay, tourists and residents of Antalya were warned of a possible tsunami. This was the first warning in recent times. Tourists were advised to stay away from the sea due to the risk of water rising by at least 50 centimeters.
According to Turkish media, the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) was initially reported to have issued a tsunami warning after the Hatay earthquake. Further, in statements made by AFAD, citizens and tourists were warned in a separate paragraph to stay away from the coastline. “It is necessary to stay away from the coastline as a precaution against the risk of a sea level rise of up to 50 cm,” Turkish media quoted as saying.
Turkish media later reported that the EMSC later lifted the tsunami warning. He said that according to Kandilli and AFAD data, the earthquake occurred on land and there is no risk of a tsunami. However, the information has already “gone to the people” and is being heatedly discussed – this is the first case of such a mass warning.
We will remind you that with the first earthquake on February 6, a similar panic covered the other side of the Mediterranean: after the information about the earthquake in Turkey – it was early on Monday – a message appeared from the Italian Civil Defense Service, which stated that based on information from the center Tsunami warning The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology decided to issue a warning about possible tsunami waves. Tourists and residents were advised to move away from coastal areas to higher ground. This primarily concerned the southern Italian coastal provinces, such as Calabria and Apulia, as well as the islands of Sicily. The warning was later lifted as well.
At the same time, Turkey has something to fear – the country has already experienced a tsunami as a result of an earthquake, even if it is not so destructive. Thus, at the end of October 2020, an earthquake between Turkey and Greece led to a tsunami in the Turkish province of Izmir – the sea receded, after which the seawater crashed onto the shore. In some places, the returning wave spilled towards populated areas – yes, the streets in Seferihisar, the most affected city of Izmir province, were flooded with seawater for about a meter.
Moreover, the forecasts of seismologists contribute to panic. So, recently, a seismologist, a member of the Academy of Sciences of Turkey, professor Naji Geryur, said that the Turkish province of Adana may be at risk – it should be noted that it is also located on the coast, it is practically “neighboring” the Gulf of Antalya. The trouble is also great for Cyprus. The expert explained that during an earthquake, energy is released at one end of the fault, but some of it accumulates and is transferred to the other end of the fault. He recalled that after the disasters in Kahramanmarash, experts declared a possible threat to Adan and Hatay. Geriur said he was waiting for an earthquake in Adana to “defuse” this tension. Cyprus may also be at risk.