On August 17, 1999, a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 Mw struck the entire Marmara region, profoundly impacting millions and claiming 18,373 lives according to official records. Coverage by leading newspapers such as Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, and Hürriyet captured the extensive human suffering and widespread chaos following the disaster. Powerful headlines from Milliyet, such as "The People Abandoned," criticized inadequate governmental response, asserting, "Negligence and irresponsibility cause more deaths than the earthquake itself". Images of injured victims, chaotic medical interventions, and desperate survivors graphically illustrated the situation. The newspapers highlighted both despair and solidarity: the heroic rescue operations, efforts by medical professionals, and the tireless support of countless volunteers.
As days turned to weeks, coverage shifted from scenes of destruction to portrayals of life in tent cities, showing children doing homework in tents and playing among makeshift homes. Cumhuriyet captured this gradual recovery with headlines like "Sunrise after Dark Clouds."
Each anniversary brought renewed calls for accountability, remembrance ceremonies, and public demonstrations. Milliyet poignantly captured public sentiment with headlines like "This Is a Human Disaster," emphasizing a recurring theme of anger and sorrow. On one such anniversary, a powerful demonstration in Avcılar voiced both grief and outrage, declaring, "The State Is Under the Rubble."
Date: August 17, 1999
Magnitude: 7.4 Mw
Fatalities (official figures): 18.373
Damaged Buildings (official figures): 285.211 houses, 42.902 workplaces