When powerful earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, the scale of destruction exposed more than a natural disaster—it revealed the deadly cost of human decisions made long before the ground shook. Tens of thousands were killed as buildings collapsed, particularly in Turkey, where corruption, weak enforcement, and decades of construction amnesties had normalized unsafe practices. In this episode, we explore how ignored building codes, substandard materials, and a system of political patronage turned seismic risk into mass tragedy. Drawing on expert testimony and eyewitness accounts, the story shows why earthquakes do not have to be this lethal—and how governance failures can be as devastating as the forces of nature themselves.

https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/02/12/turkeys-earthquakes-show-the-deadly-extent-of-construction-scams