Tempting fate: Istanbul's earthquake dilemma

Millions of residents living in Istanbul face the dilemma of whether or not to find out if the buildings where they live are resilient to earthquakes. Many cannot afford to do anything about it even if they are unsafe. A year on from the earthquakes in south-east Turkey that killed over 53,000 people, it is clear poorly built homes, hospitals and hotels that collapsed within seconds contributed to the high death toll. There are warnings that a similar fate awaits Istanbul, where scientists predict a major earthquake could strike any day now. Emily Wither looks at the challenges facing Europe’s biggest city and discovers a story of politics, poor urban planning and a struggle to find safe housing as Istanbul risks a man-made catastrophe.

Producers: Caroline Bayley and Zeynep Bilginsoy
Editor: Penny Murphy
Sound engineer: Sarah Hockley
Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

(Photo: Aerial view of Istanbul, 20 March 2023. Credit: Erdem Sahin/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)