Collapses during a quake will be likely in buildings constructed on plots of unstable backfill in Samsun's residential areas since the active North Anatolian Fault passes through Samsun province, a researcher said.

"There are many buildings on the coast of Samsun that violate laws related to coastal development. Some of the backfill on the shores of Samsun is technically problematic," said professor Ali Uzun, head of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Department of Geography at Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU).

The Havza, Ladik and Vezirköprü districts are on the North Anatolian Fault and the city center is in the second-degree risk zone. Samsun has had a total of 478 hectares of area filled in the last 70 years. Explaining that illegal buildings were constructed in the filled areas on the shores of Samsun in the past and that these buildings could pose a danger during a possible earthquake, Uzun pointed out that in case of a quake, damage may occur in buildings located in the filling areas due to ground liquefaction. If backfilling is absolutely essential, a support wall should be built to prevent a landslide, he emphasized.

Receding forest cover

Pointing out that the forest cover on the coast of Samsun's Atakum is being destroyed by wave erosion, he said: "The trees have been knocked down here. In other words, there is erosion on the shores, which is also destroying the trees. We detected them in a previous study there. We do not want to lose a single inch of land to the sea. You have the possibility of regaining the land you lost to the enemy, but if you lose it to the sea, there will be no chance of getting it back."

Violating the shoreline

"Regulations relating to the implementation of the coastal law in Samsun are very clear. It clearly states where the edge line shall pass, and how will it be determined. There are quite a few buildings on the shores of Samsun that violate the Coastal Law and the coastal edge line. These buildings are still in use. State institutions on the coast also have buildings that are in violation of these regulations," he noted.

Regarding the region's geography, he also pointed out: "The North Anatolian Fault Line passes through the territory of Samsun province. This is an active fault and passes through the Havza, Ladik and Vezirköprü lines. It has witnessed earthquakes in the past and is likely to witness them in the future. Our whole nation is an earthquake-prone country. Hence, we must build earthquake-resistant buildings to avoid the losses that we have witnessed recently."

478 hectares of landfill

In the past 70 years, 478 hectares (4,780 acres) of the shoreline were filled in Samsun and turned into land. The filling work in Samsun city center started in 1953 with the construction of the port. In the first filling work, 49.6 hectares of land were filled for the port. In addition, 102 hectares of land around the port have been filled: 34.6 hectares for Doğu Park, 84 hectares for West Park, 24.4 hectares for Mert Beach, Sevgi Lake and Coastal Road, 5.5 hectares for Bandırma Beach and 12.9 hectares for social facilities in Canik. The golf course created by filling bears a size of 65 hectares. The 100 hectares filling process was carried out behind the Tekkeköy oil filling field. Later, in addition to these areas, tennis, volleyball, basketball and bowling alleys for sports arenas were built by the city via the filling method.