This is a picture of a mosque that stood with a few other structures amid the rubble of collapsed buildings in Golcuk, 60 miles east of Istanbul.
Northwestern Turkey(Kocaeli, also known as Izmit),epicenter location:41.81ºN 30.08ºE,was struke by a devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.4 on August 17, 1999, at about 3:01am local time.
The event, which lasted for 37 seconds, claimed the lives of 17 thousand people and about half a million people (600,000 people) were left homeless.
17,127 died and 43,959 injured. There might actually be 40,000 dead and the same number of people injured which was suggested by many sources. The death toll increases in the following winter because of the poor conditions of where survivors lived in, and the places were shelters and the streets.120 000 houses that were poorly engineered are irreparable. 54 000 houses were seriously damaged while 2000 buildings collapsed.
Turkey lies between Eurasia and Africa plates.When convergent plate movement between these 2 plates occur, Turkey is pushed to the west, mostly by Eurasia, resulting in a collision.
The government was weak in rescuing and helping the victims.The Government rescue organisation didn't know what to do as they were inexperienced. They were late in preparing the first aids.
I think the government should give attention to the scientists' warnings about an expected earthquakes and prepare the first aids. Buildings should be inspected so that poorly engineered ones could be rebuild. The government rescue organisation should be trained properly.
Bibliography:
1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_%C4%B0zmit_earthquake
2.http://bossris.blogspot.com/2007/12/earthquake-in-izmit-turkey-1999.html
3.http://library.thinkquest.org/17701/high/tectonics/ptconv.html
4.http://clubs.bilgiedu.tr/herkesicinhutuk/kulup/belgeler/13.doc
5.http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/geology/turkey/index.php
6.2nd image from:http://www.life.com/image/51066969
