Hatay, one of the most severely-affected provinces after the earthquakes earlier this year, which have been described as the 'disaster of the century,' directly affecting 11 provinces in the country, efforts to alleviate the effects are ongoing. iGA is working hard to complete the installation of 350 containers to accommodate approximately 2,100 disaster victims as of March 8.

As Türkiye attempts to recover from the earthquakes, which were centered in Kahramanmaraş, iGA took action last week to build a container city to shelter disaster victims who have been left homeless in Hatay, one of the provinces most affected by the earthquake.

The container city will be built on 30 acres of land next to the Hatay Provincial Gendarme Command and allocated to iGA Istanbul Airport by Hatay's Governor's Office, with the intention of accommodating 350 families. iGA will be responsible for the complete installation and hardware work of the container city, which is preparing to accommodate earthquake victims from March 8, following the start of construction on February 13. The project is progressing rapidly, with 89 personnel and 34 construction machines operating around the clock.

Each 21-square-meter container, transported from Istanbul between February 20 and 26, is equipped with furniture, showers, toilets, and kitchen counters, providing temporary accommodation for 5-6 person families. Additionally, the container city will feature amenities such as dining halls, kitchens, laundry rooms, playgrounds, and prayer rooms.

"iGA Istanbul Airport is also prepared for a potential earthquake in Istanbul..."

As we know, in the aftermath of the most devastating earthquakes of this century, the focus has turned to a potential Istanbul earthquake, with discussions taking place about this. In this regard, several commentaries have been shared on various media channels concerning Türkiye's largest infrastructure project. The insights shared by iGA Istanbul Chief Planning Officer, İsmail Hakkı Polat, indicate that the foundations of Istanbul Airport were strengthened, and every design stage adhered to the earthquake regulations.

The potential impact of an Istanbul earthquake on the planned facilities and structures of Istanbul Airport was carefully considered during the design phases in 2015. iGA collaborated with a team of national and international experts, led by Emeritus Professor Mustafa Erdik from Bogazici University's Department of Earthquake Engineering, Sinan Türkkan, Chairman of the Earthquake Fortification Association (DEGÜDER), and Professor Dr. Atilla Ansal, Founding Chair of Özyeğin University's Department of Civil Engineering, to prepare the 2015 Istanbul Airport Seismic Hazard Report. This report determined the earthquake load to be incorporated into the design of the ground and buildings at Istanbul Airport, using a site-specific seismic hazard assessment to ascertain the potential effects of an earthquake along the fault lines.

Polat, Chief Planning Officer at iGA Istanbul Airport, emphasized that iGA Istanbul Airport was meticulously designed and constructed to ensure seamless operations even during a DD2 earthquake with a recurrence interval of 475 years. "Our criteria selection is guided by the fundamental principle that iGA Istanbul Airport will maintain its integrity and continue to be fully operational in the event of a projected earthquake in Istanbul. We executed our design and construction work within the framework of our earthquake modeling in such a way that, in the event of a predicted Istanbul earthquake, our operations, including the terminal, air traffic tower, energy center, ARFF stations, and the runway, apron, and taxiways on the air side, will remain unaffected," emphasized Polat, who also underlined that the geological structure was modified prior to the airport's construction to accommodate potential earthquake impacts on airport operations.

Within the scope of TAMP (Türkiye National Disaster Response Plan) and IRAP (Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plan), an Earthquake Response Plan for Istanbul Airport was developed through the collaborative efforts of the public and private organizations operating at Istanbul Airport.