A destructive earthquake and a tsunami may hit Turkey’s Antalya Province, the newspaper Milliyet reported, citing local geophysicist Atakan Yüklü, who added that the earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale would start due to a fault in the Mediterranean.
According to the scientist, tremors of various magnitude that regularly occur in an area near the island of Crete are the precursors for a powerful earthquake that may occur in the future.
"Ancient cities that were located in this region were struck by tsunamis and earthquakes some of them were completely destroyed, like the ancient Lycian town Dolichiste, which was completely flooded. Its ruins are now underwater in an area near the island of Kekova, Antalya", said Yüklü.
The scientist urged authorities to reinforce buildings against the earthquake, many of which do not meet seismic safety standards. Yüklü warned that the potential earthquake will create a tsunami, which will cause serious destruction in the Kumluca, Kaş Alanya, and Aksu districts.
Turkey is located in a seismically active area, which makes it prone to earthquakes. In January, more than 41 people died and over 1,600 were injured after 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Elazig Province.
The disaster also resulted in the destruction of 87 buildings. Several earthquakes have hit Turkey over the past month, with the strongest measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale. Last Saturday, a 5.0-magnitude earthquake hit the eastern part of the country damaging two buildings and causing cracks in 18 others.
