February 27, 2023, 7:03 p.m. – Public Information Service – TEH – To date, the damage caused by the earthquakes that began in Turkey on February 6 amounts to 34.2 billion dollars, but this amount is not definitive. According to World Bank estimates, it could increase as aftershocks are recorded daily.
“Two very strong earthquakes on February 6 caused direct physical damage to Turkey amounting to $34.2 billion, which is equivalent to 4% of the country’s GDP in 2021,” the WB said. .
In addition, the liquidation of the consequences of the disaster and the restoration of infrastructure will become even more costly for the country. Experts point out that these costs could double the figure announced, and the loss of GDP due to economic disruption will only make the situation worse. The final estimate will be corrected by ongoing aftershocks.
As the Public News Service wrote, referring to political scientist Andrei Kortunov, such disasters usually play against the authorities. The Turkish opposition will accuse the Turkish president of having issued a kind of building permit, that the anti-seismic standards have been lowered there and that all this has caused so many victims.
