Earthquakes in southeast Turkey inflicted enormous property damage, estimated at 2 trillion Turkish lira, roughly 105 billion US dollars. A major news outlet cited this figure, attributing the estimate to the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury of the Republic. The number underscores how the losses from the February event far exceed initial calculations and highlight the scale of the disaster across the region. The ministry stated that this amount accounts for about 9 percent of the country’s expected national income for 2023, signaling a downturn in economic activity tied to the catastrophe.
The seismic events occurred on February 6, unleashing two powerful quakes with magnitudes 7.7 and 7.6 in southeastern Turkey. The tremors disrupted neighboring nations as well, including Syria, and authorities described the earthquake as a disaster of extraordinary magnitude.
By mid March, officials reported that tens of thousands of people had been affected by the catastrophe. It was noted that thousands of foreign nationals, many of them Syrian citizens, were among those who lost their lives in the earthquakes that struck Turkey. In total, the death toll reached well over 48,000 people, leaving a lasting impact on communities across the affected areas. The figures circulated by government agencies were reported by TRT News and subsequent updates from the Ministry of Interior and other agencies, reflecting the evolving situation and the ongoing response efforts. [cite: TRT News attribution]