An excavator removes the remains of heavily damaged and destroyed buildings after a powerful quake in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. [AP]
Greek and Turkish scientists are meeting in Kusadasi and Athens to deepen cooperation on earthquake engineering, focusing on seismic isolation systems that proved critical during the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquakes in Turkey.
The meetings include the 8th International Conference on Earthquake Engineering and a joint Greece-Turkey event linked to a global seismic isolation congress planned for Athens in 2027. Tasos Sextos of the National Technical University of Athens said the neighboring countries share similar seismic risks and building characteristics, making scientific cooperation essential for protecting lives.
Greek and Turkish engineers and seismologists have expanded collaboration since the devastating 1999 earthquakes in Izmit and Athens. After the 2020 quake near Samos, scientists from Greece, Turkey and the US produced a joint technical report and held an international seminar.
Experts said Turkey’s requirement that modern hospitals use seismic isolation could guide Greece in protecting critical infrastructure. Only three Greek public buildings currently use seismic isolation technology systems.
