As part of the "Construction of the Century: The Recovery Vision of a Strong Türkiye Panel," organised by the Directorate of Communications, the session "From Disaster to Recovery: Public Coordination and Transformation on the Ground" was held.
The panel, held at the Directorate of Communications Conference Hall and moderated by Prof. Abdulmenaf Turan of Ankara University’s Faculty of Applied Sciences, featured Deputy Minister of Interior Münir Karaloğlu, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Ömer Fatih Sayan, Deputy Minister of Family and Social Services Sevim Sayım Madak, and Prof. Nurcan Meral Özel, member of the Presidential Local Government and Disaster Policies Board and faculty member at the Kandilli Observatory Earthquake Research Institute, Department of Geophysics, as speakers.
Deputy Minister of Interior Karaloğlu emphasised the importance of maintaining the balance between risk management and crisis management in relation to disasters, saying, "We turned the institutional memory we have built since the Marmara earthquake into success in the 6 February earthquake. We did not view disaster response as merely crisis management. We have striven to strengthen the disaster preparedness of our institutions and society, guided by an awareness of the continuous nature of crisis risk," he said.
Karaloğlu said, "Under the leadership and vision of our President, we quickly revived our cities and reunited our brothers and sisters affected by the disaster with their peaceful and happy homes," and pointed to the importance of the Türkiye Disaster Response Plan (TAMP). Karaloğlu noted that, during disasters, response efforts are carried out through close inter-institutional coordination and that effective coordination was ensured, drawing attention to the process experienced in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Sayan also noted that many areas of the communication infrastructure were renovated after the earthquake. Sayan stated that 1,865 new base stations have been established to replace the 550 affected by the earthquake, and that, with 5G technology, communication problems would be minimised in future disasters. He noted that the support needed in the aftermath of the disaster was provided not only in city centres but also in rural areas.
Deputy Minister of Family and Social Services Madak said that disasters comprise a process that affects the mental health and social fabric of society as well as the bond between the state and the nation. Madak stated, "With the Century of Türkiye vision shaped under the leadership of our President, we embrace a strong state approach that not only responds to disasters but also prepares in advance, acts collectively, and puts people at its centre."
Madak stated that "this vision, nourished by our deep-rooted state tradition, Anatolian wisdom, and the culture of solidarity and vision that this nation has upheld for centuries, sets forth the primary goal of building resilient societies and durable cities in the face of disasters," noting that they reached more than 5 million people with the deployment of 13,000 personnel from 71 provinces as part of psychosocial support services.
Madak stated that, as the Ministry of Family and Social Services, they have been actively engaged across a wide range of settings—from debris sites and hospitals to tent and container cities—providing services ranging from psychological first aid to long-term counselling, and that they continue to pursue their on-the-ground efforts with determination today.
Kandilli Observatory Earthquake Research Institute Faculty Member Özel noted that the earthquake involved multiple ruptures, that they conducted dynamic rupture modelling at Kandilli Observatory, and elaborated on the earthquake type and possible different scenarios.
The panel concluded after the speech titled "Disaster Journalism: Preventing the News from Turning into a Disaster", the session "Responsible Broadcasting in Disaster Journalism", and the speech titled "Media Relations Management During Disaster Periods".
