The February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, affecting a total of eleven provinces, deeply
affected us all. I write to you today with a heavy heart, as our thoughts and prayers are with our
people in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that struck the country on February 6. The
earthquakes, which measured moment magnitudes 7.7 and 7.6 hit the provinces of
Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Hatay, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Kilis, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Malatya,
Adana, and Elazığ in eastern Turkiye, causing significant damage to buildings and infrastructure
and claiming the lives of dozens of our people. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and
loved ones of those who lost their lives or were injured in the earthquakes, and we offer our support
and solidarity as they begin the long process of recovery.
As a university community, immediately after the earthquakes, Middle East Technical University
faculty members and staff set out to conduct research in the region. Teams from Middle East
Technical University (METU), consisting of experts in fields such as civil engineering, geology,
architecture, city planning, etc., have initiated to perform preliminary reconnaissance studies in
the cities of the region with the collaboration of experts of diverse fields from other university
members and institutions. We encourage our faculty, staff, and students to join us in these ongoing
efforts and to consider how they can contribute their skills, expertise, and resources to help those
affected by the earthquakes.
At times like these, it is important to remember the strength and resilience of the human spirit, and
the power of individuals and communities to come together. We are confident that the people of
the region will overcome this tragedy, and we stand with them in their efforts to rebuild and
recover.
Sincerely,
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Verşan Kök
President, Middle East Technical University

1. 1. Introduction
On February 6, 2023, at 04:17 (01:17 GMT), a moment magnitude (Mw) 7.7 (AFAD, Disaster, and Emergency Management Presidency www.afad.gov.tr), earthquake occurred on the East Anatolian Fault. The epicenter of the Pazarcık-Kahramanmaraş-Türkiye Earthquake is located at N37.288°, E37.043° and approximately 40 km north-west of Gaziantep, and 33 km south-east of Kahramanmaraş, with a focal depth of 8.6 km (AFAD).
Following the first event, approximately 9 hours later, at 13:24 (10:24 GMT), an Mw 7.6 earthquake at Elbistan-Kahramanmaraş-Türkiye shook the region again. The epicenter of the second event is located at N38.089°, E37.239°, approximately 98 km north-west of Adıyaman, and 62 km north-east of Kahramanmaraş, with a focal depth of 7.0 km (AFAD). Both events took place on the East Anatolian Fault Zone (EAFZ), one of Türkiye's two major active fault systems. Figure 1.1 presents the locations of the epicenters.
Figure 1.1. Map of Türkiye (Google Maps). The epicenter of the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş-Pazarcık (Mw=7.7) and Kahramanmaraş-Elbistan (Mw=7.6) Earthquakes are shown with white pins.