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How to assess earthquake risk when buying land

The whole of Türkiye is an earthquake zone; what matters is knowing how high the risk is and making sure the building is designed for it.

1. The nearest active fault

An active fault (diri fay) is a fault that has moved in roughly the last 10,000 years and can produce earthquakes. Right on top of a fault there is a risk of surface rupture as well as shaking; this is why some zoning plans restrict building along fault lines (with a setback zone, sakınım bandı). The ParselX parcel card shows the nearest active fault, its distance, its type and its slip rate. For the official active fault map, see the Earth Sciences Portal of MTA (the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration).

2. Past earthquakes in the area

The large earthquakes that have occurred nearby since 1900 give an idea of how active the area is. ParselX lists earthquakes of M5 and above around the parcel and within province and district boundaries.

3. Earthquake hazard map (AFAD TDTH)

The Türkiye Earthquake Hazard Map of AFAD (the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency) gives the expected ground shaking (PGA) for every point; the earthquake calculations for new buildings use these values under the 2018 Turkish Building Earthquake Code (Türkiye Bina Deprem Yönetmeliği). You can look up a point by its coordinates at tdth.afad.gov.tr.

4. Ground survey

Within the same area, solid rock and soft fill behave very differently. The ground and foundation survey (zemin ve temel etüdü) that is compulsory for a building permit reveals the soil class and the risk of liquefaction and settlement. Pay particular attention to stream beds, former lake or marsh areas and filled ground.

5. Building quality

Most earthquake losses are caused by the building itself. Whether the design and site supervision comply with the code is often more decisive than the plot being a few kilometres further from a fault.

Last updated: 29 September 2026