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Ankara mayor: Turkey may be ‘targeted by man-made earthquakes’

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Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek. (AFP)
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A man with his motorcycle passes next to a damaged house after an earthquake in the village of Plomari on the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos, on Monday. (AP)
Updated 13 June 2017
Aisha Fareed
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Ankara mayor: Turkey may be ‘targeted by man-made earthquakes’

Updated 13 June 2017
Aisha Fareed

JEDDAH: Ankara’s mayor blamed Monday’s earthquake, which hit western Turkey and the Greek islands, on foreign powers’ aim to undermine the country’s economy.
In a series of tweets, Ibrahim Melih Gökçek said that this is not the first time Turkey is being targeted by “man-made” earthquakes.
“Now I think that this might be a man-made earthquake. I do not say it is certain but it is a very serious possibility,” Gökçek tweeted.

“I say that it should definitely be investigated. Was there any seismic research ship sailing near the epicenter? If so, which country does it belong to?” he said.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 damaged scores of homes on the eastern Greek island of Lesbos Monday, injuring at least 10 people. It was also felt in western Turkey, including in Istanbul, and on neighboring islands.
The mayor later shared YouTube videos explaining the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), urging people to watch carefully.

Gökçek previously claimed that quakes in the western province of Canakkale could have been caused by dark external powers.
“Today a serious earthquake occurred in Çanakkale. I have investigated and there is a ship conducting seismic research nearby," the Mayor tweeted in Febuary.

"What this ship is researching and which country it belongs to should be solved urgently."

"I worry about a potential earthquake that could be triggered artificially. This should definitely be investigated and announced to the public,” he said.

According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management, the epicenter of Monday’s undersea earthquake was at a shallow depth of 7 km.
At least 25 aftershocks have been recorded following the initial quake at 3:28 p.m. (1228 GMT).
The earthquake was also felt in densely populated Istanbul and the western Turkish province of Izmir, but no injuries were reported there.
Earthquakes are frequent in Greece and Turkey, which are on active fault lines. Two devastating earthquakes hit northwestern Turkey in 1999, killing about 18,000 people. Experts in both countries said more aftershocks are to be expected from Monday’s earthquake.

 

 

Israel’s Supreme Court suspends govt move to shut army radio

Updated 29 December 2025
AFP
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Israel’s Supreme Court suspends govt move to shut army radio

  • Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country’s decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station
Updated 29 December 2025
AFP

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country’s decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station.
In a ruling issued late Sunday, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said the suspension was partly because the government “did not provide a clear commitment not to take irreversible steps before the court reaches a final decision.”
He added that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported the suspension.
The cabinet last week approved the closure of Galei Tsahal, with the shutdown scheduled to take effect before March 1, 2026.
Founded in 1950, Galei Tsahal is widely known for its flagship news programs and has long been followed by both domestic and foreign correspondents.
A government audience survey ranks it as Israel’s third most listened-to radio station, with a market share of 17.7 percent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged ministers to back the closure, saying there had been repeated proposals over the years to remove the station from the military, abolish it or privatise it.
But Baharav-Miara, who also serves as the government’s legal adviser and is facing dismissal proceedings initiated by the premier, has warned that closing the station raised “concerns about possible political interference in public broadcasting.”
She added that it “poses questions regarding an infringement on freedom of expression and of the press.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said last week that Galei Tsahal broadcasts “political and divisive content” that does not align with military values.
He said soldiers, civilians and bereaved families had complained that the station did not represent them and undermined morale and the war effort.
Katz also argued that a military-run radio station serving the general public is an anomaly in democratic countries.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid had condemned the closure decision, calling it part of the government’s effort to suppress freedom of expression ahead of elections.
Israel is due to hold parliamentary elections in 2026, and Netanyahu has said he will seek another term as prime minister.

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