Major geological faultlines cross Turkey and small earthquakes are a near daily occurrence. A 6.0-magnitude quake in March 2010 last year killed 51 people in eastern Turkey, while a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed 177 people in the southeastern city of Bingol in 2003.And the political will to prioritize saving the lives of (mostly) poor people over other potential investments. Sounds familiar.
Turkish authorities are likely to face questions over why they have failed to tighten up construction regulations to make buildings more earthquake-resilient, McNaught said.
"Experts have continuously told the Turkish authorities that the earthquake itself is not what kills people. It is faulty building construction that kills people," our correspondent said.
"There have been pleas from all quarters - from people working in civil defence, from academics, from architects and urban planners - for successive governments to tighten up the building regulations. But that involves a huge investment of money."
You can donate to the GlobalGiving.org Turkey Earthquake Relief Fund here.
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