Comment: Monitor

All the News of the World The Turkish press reflects on the devastation caused by Tuesday morning's earthquake

THERE CAN be no questioning Allah's predestined fate; even if it was not history's most powerful earthquake on the Richter scale, we have certainly felt the most widespread and strongest earthquake of our own history. The true extent of the loss is yet to be revealed but that, morally and materially, it will lead to greater pain and suffering is certain. We must prepare ourselves for this. (Altemur Kilic)

Turkiye

THE EARTHQUAKE has hit us all. In its path, it has destroyed some people's loved ones, injured others and destroyed the homes of many more. In short, it has turned upside down the lives of thousands - maybe tens of thousands. It has spoiled our plans for the future. In spite of this, we still know that the tragedy we have undergone could have been worse. Last night's earthquake, which made us all jump out of our beds at 3.02 on Tuesday morning, was, in fact, something we had been waiting for. The only thing that we did not know was the date and time. (Oktay Eksi)

Hurriyet

IT TOOK a mere 45 seconds for the shock of the geological wave from the core of the Earth to wake up a million people. And now, while everyone is talking about their suspicions and predictions, we should simply admit that what has happened has happened. And that Turkey has been caught unprepared for yet another earthquake. This time, let us not forget the cry of voices that come from under the ruins. (Derya Sazak)

Millyet

NO ONE should reproach Allah, but this situation is a fate that we construct and create; it is in our own hands. We live on a large geological fault. Even if we reject the idea that we could predict when it was going to happen, we still know it was going to happen sooner or later. (Gungor Mengi)

Sabah

AN EARTHQUAKE is, of course, a natural disaster - but is a lack of forward think- ing, knowledge, measure, resources and political leadership always to be the fate of the Turkish people?

Ozgur Politika