Politics and the Earthquakes in Syria and Turkey

The Program in Near and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Basel invites the public to a panel discussion entitled Politics and the Earthquakes.

In February 2023, two severe earthquakes, along with countless aftershocks, killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of people in Turkey and Syria. Yet fate alone does not account for all of this suffering. On this panel, experts of the region will consider how “human factors” affected the consequences of the earthquakes.

How did construction policies, urban planning, disaster response, closed borders, sanctions, and xenophobia (among others) exacerbate the effects of the earthquakes and hinder relief efforts? What must be done to prepare for future calamities?

Panelists include:

Dr. Nazlı Tümerdem (ETH Zürich, Architecture)
Sevinç Ünal (University of Basel, Near and Middle Eastern Studies)
Abboud Maksy Youssef (University of Geneva, Political Science and International Relations).
The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Alexander Balistreri (University of Basel, Near and Middle Eastern Studies).

The program is free and open to the public. The event will take place in English.

Hörsaal 001