Istanbul is caught between the economic crisis and the danger of earthquakes

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For a city highly vulnerable to earthquakes, the seven-storey building in Istanbul’s Bostanci district seemed like a relatively safe bet when doctoral student Yigit was looking for a place to rent last year. The unit’s owner told him that the 40-year-old building, a former residence for government tax collectors, was earthquake-strengthened after a fatal tremor in 1999.

After a pair of catastrophic earthquakes hit Turkey’s southeastern region on February 6, Eğit said, residents decided to check the building “just to make sure.” Three weeks later, the results came back: the apartment was in serious danger of collapse and would have to be evacuated and demolished. The dilemma facing Yigit and his flatmate was where to move.

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