AFAD Earthquake and Risk Reduction General Director Prof. Dr. Orhan Tatar said regarding seismic activity in the Aegean Sea, "We predict that if the tsunami reaches our shores, it will not have a destructive impact."
Prof. Dr. Tatar, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute Director Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel, Meteorology General Deputy Director Yüksel Yağan, and METU Civil Engineering Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevdet Yalçıner conducted an investigation in Seferihisar district, where AFAD deployed a mobile siren and announcement vehicle, both on the coast and in the Aegean Sea with the Coast Guard ship.
After the inspection, Tatar made a statement to journalists, recalling that they held evaluation meetings in Muğla, Aydın, and Izmir.
Tatar addressed the possibility of a tsunami following the earthquake, stating:
"Especially as we move northward from the south, that is, as we move from Muğla to the north, we see that the tsunami risk decreases along our coasts. However, for example, in different places in Muğla, Bodrum, and the Datça Peninsula, if the tsunami effect occurs, we predict it will not arrive in less than one hour. We have deduced this from our modeling.
If the tsunami reaches our shores, we foresee that it will not have a destructive impact. As we move further north, especially around Izmir, the effect will be less or negligible, and we can say that there will be no impact when we reach the area we are in today. If a tsunami occurs, we can clearly say that it will not pass north of Izmir."
Tatar noted that the tsunami warning would be issued to AFAD by Kandilli Observatory and the Earthquake Research Institute and that after the warning reaches AFAD, it will be announced to citizens via SMS, or if necessary, through more effective messaging methods or the announcement system.
Tatar also addressed the recent sea withdrawals in various regions, stating, "It is important to emphasize that this is a meteorological event and not a sign of any earthquake."
Emergency measures to be taken AFAD Disaster Response General Director Dr. Sadi Ergin also responded to journalists' questions about what citizens should do when receiving an emergency warning through the alert system.
Ergin said that when a warning is issued, citizens should head from the water's edge to inland areas, adding, "With a tsunami effect of about 1 to 1.5 meters, citizens will have taken the necessary precautions by heading to inland areas. In the case of a volcanic eruption, masks can be used for protection. Additionally, chimney caps in homes can help protect the indoor space. It is recommended that citizens head to indoor areas. In this regard, we have printed brochures, which are being distributed to citizens through our village heads."
Meteorology team monitoring the atmosphere Meteorology General Deputy Director Yüksel Yağan also stated that Turkey's southern regions could be partially affected by particulate matter transport in the event of a volcanic eruption.
Yağan mentioned that the Meteorology General Directorate has set up a team, saying, "We are continuously monitoring and observing the atmosphere on a 7-24 hour basis. We are specifically monitoring the atmosphere concerning volcanic eruptions. In such a case, we will immediately contact AFAD to ensure that our citizens are minimally affected by the situation."
