01.10.2025 12:37
Two earthquakes measuring 6.1 in Sındırgı, Balıkesir, and 5.4 in Simav, Kütahya, have awakened the dormant faults in the region. Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir, the Director of the Earthquake Research and Application Center at İzmir Dokuz Eylül University, stated that there is a buildup of stress in the area between the two districts.
The Director of the DEU Earthquake Research and Application Center, Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir, conducted an investigation in the earthquake zones of Balıkesir Sındırgı, which caused destruction and resulted in the loss of one life with a magnitude of 6.1, and in Kütahya Simav, where a magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred on September 28.
After his investigations, Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir stated, "The Simav zone is a long fault. It is 200 kilometers long. In the eastern part of the fault, there was the Gediz earthquake in 1970. After this earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.2, there were casualties and property losses. Therefore, there is a possibility of earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.2 occurring on this fault zone. Considering the recent past, on August 10, the 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Balıkesir Sındırgı occurred. The aftershocks here are still ongoing. The number of aftershocks has reached 12,000. Lastly, there was the Simav earthquake that occurred the day before yesterday. It happened in the region we call Yemişli. The main shock was of magnitude 5.4. The aftershocks in this region have now exceeded 500. We see three different earthquakes at certain distances from each other: 7.2, 6.1, and 5.4 magnitudes occurred on this fault zone," he said.
"THE EARTHQUAKE STORM WILL LAST FOR A FEW MONTHS" Prof. Dr. Sözbilir stated, "There are many small and large faults on the Simav Fault Zone. A significant portion of these are what we call dead faults in geological terms. With the recent earthquakes, these dead faults have become active. They have joined the ongoing earthquake activity. They are also currently producing earthquakes. In 2011, there was an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 northeast of Naşa. There were casualties and property losses. We can think that the earthquake in 2011 triggered the Simav earthquake on September 28, 2025. There is a mechanism where stress is transferred to the northwest. If we go back to 1970, energy is being transmitted from east to west. In the region between the Sındırgı and Simav earthquakes, stress is accumulating at certain scales. These will also start to produce earthquakes. Their potential to produce large earthquakes is not very high. Additionally, an earthquake storm is occurring in Sındırgı and Simav after the main shock. An earthquake storm of magnitudes 4 to 4.5 that could last for a few months may continue," he said.
CALL FOR 'INSTITUTES' IN EVERY REGION Addressing the inadequacy of the number of earthquake experts, Prof. Dr. Sözbilir said, "Evaluating these recent earthquakes through field studies requires high-level science. There needs to be a significant number of individuals specialized in earth sciences in Turkey. We have a deficiency in this regard. If we can increase the number of institutes like Kandilli and establish them in every region, we will train experts on how to evaluate these earthquakes and how to reduce the risk."