The Kahramanmaraş Earthquake, defined as the disaster of the century, caused social traumas by deeply affecting not only those who experienced the earthquake in the region, but also everyone. Expressing that the social trauma caused by the earthquake spread to a wide area of influence, Ege University Faculty of Letters Department of Sociology Lecturer. Member Assoc. Dr. Pelin Önder Erol said, “The Kahramanmaraş Earthquake went down in history as the most destructive earthquake in the history of the Republic of Turkey. The total population of the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Adana, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Kilis and Şanlıurfa, hit by this earthquake, which is unprecedented in terms of both its geographical range and severity, constitute approximately 16 percent of Turkey’s population. This rate points to the population directly affected by the disaster, in other words, to the population experiencing primary trauma.”
Expressing that the earthquake deeply affected the entire society, Assoc. Dr. Önder Erol said, “We lost nearly 45,000 lives, we still have thousands of injured people. The number of heavily damaged buildings exceeded 200 thousand; This means millions of our people are left homeless. Undoubtedly, this sad picture has deeply affected the entire society, as individuals living outside the earthquake zone, we still experience secondary trauma. We are trying to heal the wounds of this extremely sad event that will be engraved in our social memory.”
Community solidarity emerged
Stating that Turkey was one heart in the earthquake, Assoc. Dr. Erol said, “The process after the 6 February earthquake, in which one of the most vivid examples of social cohesion was exhibited, once again showed how sensitive we are as a society. Social distinctions have faded and Turkey has become one heart, as it has always been expressed. The culture of cooperation and solidarity, which is already dominant in our society, came into play immediately. As a society, we are almost competing in providing in-kind and cash aid and housing organization, as well as morally supporting individuals directly affected by the earthquake. When all these are considered in the sociological context, it is seen that this solidarity represents a tradition unique to our society.
Stating that the society replaces the family, Assoc. Dr. Pelin Önder Erol said, “The three basic organs that meet the needs of the individual are the state, the market and the family. Under normal circumstances, the family is the organ that assumes the greatest responsibility in meeting the needs of the individual in Turkey. Therefore, the culture of familyism and collectivism in Mediterranean societies is dominant in Turkey. However, the families of the individuals affected by the earthquake were also affected by the earthquake. Here, we saw the power of society as a fourth organ in meeting the needs of the individual. Society has replaced the family and filled a great void, we all see each earthquake survivor as a member of our family, this is important. Social unity, togetherness and solidarity have been extremely functional in healing the wounds of earthquake victims. We have seen on this occasion that solidarity beyond the romantic context is only functional when it is organized correctly, and in this context, the power of civil society.”
Earthquake causes migration phenomenon
Assoc. Dr. Önder Erol said, “In order to prevent women, children, the disabled, the elderly and immigrants, who are among the vulnerable groups in the society, from experiencing the double or even triple danger situation, which we call a double or even triple danger, harmonization studies specific to these groups are required. Each group has its own expectations and problems, which cannot be eliminated with generic solutions. It is clear that both the relevant organs of the state and non-governmental organizations will have serious duties in the future in alleviating the social problems caused by the earthquake.
Emphasizing that the earthquake may also cause a wave of migration, which is a social change, Assoc. Dr. Önder Erol said, “The earthquake region is located in a geography that has been the center of both internal and external migration. Since these provinces had migrated to other parts of Turkey for many years, the presence of relatives living in provinces that were not affected by the earthquake also served as insurance. We saw that our citizens who were evacuated from the region immediately after the earthquake began to be hosted by these relatives. This situation once again pointed to the importance of kinship in Turkey. However, this geography is also distinctive in that it is an important destination for Syrian migration. It is possible that Syrians, who fled the civil war and took refuge in Turkey, were affected by the earthquake, triggering another wave of migration. It is inevitable that such a catastrophe, which threatens the ontological security of individuals, will be effective in the reorganization of social dynamics.
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
