INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO TURKEY 2023 EARTHQUAKE: A POLICY ANALYSIS
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO TURKEY 2023 EARTHQUAKE: A POLICY ANALYSIS

Summary/Abstract: Western Balkan states, among them Kosovo and North Macedonia, joined others from around the world in offering aid to Turkey, which, along with Syria, was hit by two deadly earthquakes on February 6, 2023. The epicenter of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake was in Kahramanmaras province near the border with Syria. As a result of the earthquakes, there were 50,783 deaths, 297 missing and 107,204 injured across 11 of the 17 affected provinces of Turkey. At least 15.73 million people and 4 million buildings were affected. About 345,000 apartments were destroyed. Over 1.5 million people were left homeless. Over 100 nations and 16 international organizations offered aid to the earthquake victims in Turkey. In addition, 11 countries contributed search and rescue teams accompanied by specially trained dogs to locate survivors trapped in the rubble. In contrast, aid to Syria was comparatively less, primarily due to Western sanctions on the nation and government-imposed restrictions on humanitarian organizations operating beyond their controlled regions. The paper conducts an analysis of ten existing international response organizations, examining their agreements and procedures in disaster response efforts. It investigates the history and effectiveness of these organizations in managing disaster situations, with a specific focus on their roles in addressing the Turkey and Syria disasters. The paper assesses their effectiveness in the context of the February 2023 earthquake. Furthermore, the paper explores the concept of mutual aid mechanisms, which are commonly utilized by countries worldwide for disaster response. These agreements, whether bilateral or multilateral, are typically established at different levels of government, ranging from local to national and even international. While the specifics of these agreements may vary among nations, the overarching goal is to create a framework for sharing resources, personnel, and expertise during times of emergency. Additionally, the paper discusses the response efforts of two Balkan countries, Kosovo and North Macedonia, which provided assistance such as search and rescue teams, handlers with dogs, and material aid like blankets and stretchers. Notably, these nations offered their support independently, without being part of any international organization. Their response was established through direct communication with Turkey. It was characterized by its immediacy and sincerity, Finally, the paper draws conclusions based on an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of existing response systems, offering recommendations to policymakers to enhance overall disaster response procedures.

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