AN ANALYSIS OF RISK MITIGATION CONSIDERATIONS IN REGIONAL RECONSTRUCTION IN TURKEY: THE MISSING LINK

Turkey's disastrous earthquakes in 1999 required a monumental task for rebuilding the affected regions. This has now been largely completed by the massive loans borrowed from international institutions and domestic resources. The organization of the resources to accomplish reconstruction is described. Yet, having successfully accomplished the tasks of addressing the long-term needs of the victims in terms of reconstruction/restoration of lost homes and businesses, and dealing with the disruption that the disaster has caused in community life, cannot be viewed as signs that success has been achieved. This article stresses that once the initial shock of the disaster has worn off, institutional adjustments required for mitigation for future disasters have not been enacted vigorously.