17.08.2026 06:40
A commemoration program was held in Yalova on the 27th anniversary of the August 17, 1999 Marmara Earthquake. After a silent march and the placing of carnations at the Earthquake Memorial, officials spoke, emphasizing the importance of urban transformation. AK Party Deputy Chairman Ahmet Büyükgümüş said, 'The most important step to take to never experience such disasters again is urban transformation,' while Governor Ahmet Hamdi Usta warned, 'Earthquakes do not kill, negligence kills.'
A commemoration program was held in Yalova on the anniversary of the 17 August 1999 Marmara Earthquake. Many people participated in the silent march to the Earthquake Memorial on the coast, and carnations were left at the memorial where the names of those who lost their lives in the earthquake are written.
The 17 August 1999 Marmara Earthquake, with its epicenter in the Gölcük district of Kocaeli, caused destruction in Kocaeli, Sakarya, Istanbul, Düzce, and Yalova. The earthquake claimed 17,480 lives and injured 43,953 people. On the 27th anniversary of the earthquake, a ceremony was held in Yalova for those who lost their lives. The program, which began with a tour of the stands at the Earthquake Memorial, continued with a silent march from the 15 July Democracy and Republic Square, where participants gathered, to the Earthquake Memorial on the coast. Participants laid carnations at the memorial, which features marble blocks inscribed with the names of those who perished in the disaster, and visited an exhibition of photographs taken on the day of the earthquake. The program, which included a slideshow presentation, concluded with prayers at 03:02, the time of the earthquake, following the recitation of the Quran and the Mevlid-i Şerif. Soup and helva were also served to citizens at the stands set up in the area. The commemoration ceremony was attended by AK Party Deputy Chairman Ahmet Büyükgümüş, Yalova Governor Ahmet Hamdi Usta, Mayor Mehmet Gürel, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Colonel Ercan Altın, and citizens.
'THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP TO AVOID EXPERIENCING THESE DISASTERS AGAIN IS URBAN TRANSFORMATION' Speaking after the program, AK Party Deputy Chairman Ahmet Büyükgümüş emphasized the importance of urban transformation, saying, "We remember our departed elders and brothers with mercy. Their precious memories have never diminished in our hearts for a moment. Tonight, with our prayers, we will pray once more not to experience such a disaster again. We will commemorate their precious memories. Of course, the night of 17 August 1999 is one of the critical dates in our struggle against disasters, in combating earthquakes, and in gaining resilient cities. In many areas in Turkey, from disaster search and rescue to construction, 17 August is considered a milestone. Following that, of course, the February 6 earthquake we experienced three years ago remains a fresh wound in all our hearts. With the great effort we have put forth in the last three years, we have successfully completed an incredibly great struggle by delivering more than 600,000 homes to their owners. The effort and labor we have put forth here are truly being watched with admiration by the entire world. We are talking about a success that not only rebuilt homes but also raised all 11 of our cities, with their schools, roads, hospitals, and dams, in as short a time as three years. And through this occasion, we have observed the great success Turkey has achieved from those days to the present, especially regarding post-disaster efforts. We want to crown this great success, which we have seen particularly with the rebuilding of our cities, with a campaign we will achieve through urban transformation. Our call from here is for the efforts put forth by our ministry; primarily municipalities, along with non-governmental organizations, and all our citizens who need this in their homes to embrace it with a spirit of mobilization. To avoid experiencing these disasters once more, to not grieve after these disasters, and to avoid losses, the most important step we must take is urban transformation."
'EARTHQUAKES DO NOT KILL, NEGLIGENCE KILLS' Yalova Governor Ahmet Hamdi Usta, reminding that there are active faults in the region, said, "We are together to remember the memory of the lives we lost on the 27th anniversary of the earthquake we experienced centered in Gölcük on 17 August 1999. I thank each and every one of you for attending our commemoration program. I can very well understand the troubles and difficulties of those of you who felt the 7.4 magnitude earthquake in your bones for 45 seconds. In the Gölcük earthquake, which affected 16 million people, claimed the lives of 18,373 of our citizens, and injured 48,901 of our citizens, unfortunately, we also lost 2,504 of our citizens in Yalova. 4,072 of our citizens survived with injuries. It is a fact that as a country, we live in a region with active faults. Therefore, it is our duty to be prepared as if we will experience the reality of an earthquake at any moment. Saying 'Earthquakes do not kill, negligence kills,' we, as citizens, must take the precautions that are important to us. Of course, we, representing our state, are obliged to take these precautions at the highest level and share them with you."