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Balikesir’s Sindirgi district has been rattled by intense seismic activity for three months, a pattern that disaster management expert Associate Professor Bulent Ozmen describes as an “extraordinary earthquake storm” with no precedent in Türkiye’s history.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ozmen said the surge began after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 10, followed by nearly 18,000 tremors, including two quakes of magnitude 6.1 and about 80 above magnitude 4.
“We are facing a level and number of earthquakes never before recorded in Türkiye,” he said.
Ozmen said the tremors appear to stem from both tectonic stress and magmatic intrusion, calling the sequence “highly unusual.”
He warned that it remains impossible to predict how the activity will evolve, stressing the need for detailed geological and geophysical studies.
He urged the installation of temporary seismic observation stations in Sindirgi and its surroundings to better analyze micro-seismic parameters.
Monitoring groundwater levels, radon emissions, electrical resistivity, electric and magnetic field changes, and crustal deformation could provide important signals, he added.
All available studies should be compiled into a single data set and evaluated through the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency's (AFAD) Earthquake Science Board, which should outline short-, medium- and long-term steps for the region, he said.
Clear and frequent public updates are also needed to prevent misinformation.
Ozmen recalled that AFAD recently declared the area a “Disaster Zone Affecting General Life,” but said stronger measures may be required, including designating the region as “disaster-prone” or considering extraordinary administrative steps.
“Sindirgi residents have been living with constant earthquakes for three months. This is an extraordinary process and extraordinary precautions must be taken,” he said, calling for expanded temporary shelter areas, support for those wishing to relocate, and continuity of education and healthcare through special arrangements.
Ozmen noted that past institutional reports and academic studies show the Simav Fault Zone and Gelenbe Fault could generate earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.
He emphasized that there is no reliable method to forecast earthquake timing, but explained that releasing the energy of a magnitude 7 quake would typically require 31 tremors of magnitude 6.
“So far, only two such earthquakes have occurred in Sindirgi,” he said.
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