{
  "id": "disaster/occupancy-permit-not-earthquake-proof",
  "signature": "AI tells someone in Turkey that a building's iskan (occupancy permit) or a recent construction date means it is earthquake-safe",
  "signature_zh": "",
  "regex": "(turkey.{0,20}(iskan|occupancy permit|building permit).{0,20}(safe|earthquake)|earthquake.{0,20}safe.{0,20}turkey.{0,20}(permit|iskan))",
  "domain": "disaster",
  "category": "life_threatening",
  "subcategory": null,
  "root_cause": "An occupancy permit (iskan) or a post-2000 construction date is not reliable proof that a Turkish building meets earthquake-resistant standards. A 2018 zoning/construction amnesty (imar barisi, Law No. 7143) let millions of non-compliant structures obtain retroactive legal status for a fee without a genuine structural safety review, and many amnestied buildings collapsed in the February 2023 earthquakes. Owners and tenants can instead request an independent 'riskli yapi' (risky-building) structural assessment from a Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change-licensed institution under Law No. 6306.",
  "root_cause_type": "generic",
  "root_cause_zh": "",
  "versions": [
    {
      "version": "any",
      "introduced": null,
      "deprecated": null,
      "removed": null,
      "behavior_change": null,
      "status": "active"
    }
  ],
  "os_specific": {},
  "dead_ends": [
    {
      "action": "Treat having an iskan (occupancy/habitation permit) as proof the building meets earthquake-resistant construction standards",
      "why_fails": "Turkey's 2018 construction amnesty (imar barisi, Law No. 7143) let over 10 million non-compliant structures - including ones with structural code violations - obtain legal status and permits retroactively for a fee, without a genuine engineering safety review. Investigations after the February 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquakes found that many buildings legalized under the amnesty, and buildings whose contractors had permits, collapsed; Turkish authorities detained and investigated hundreds of contractors and property owners over collapsed buildings.",
      "fail_rate": 0.7,
      "condition": "",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/turkey-detains-building-contractors-as-earthquake-deaths-rise-past-33000",
        "https://www.context.news/money-power-people/rotten-buildings-corruption-in-spotlight-after-turkey-quake"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "Assume a newer-looking building, or one built after Turkey's 1999 earthquake code reforms, automatically meets the current Turkish Earthquake Code (TBDY)",
      "why_fails": "Reporting on the 2023 collapses found enforcement gaps and amnesty provisions meant even post-1999 buildings could be retroactively legalized despite code violations, and that some contractors altered approved structural plans after inspection sign-off. Building age and permit history alone do not confirm compliance with current seismic design standards.",
      "fail_rate": 0.5,
      "condition": "Applies to buildings anywhere in Turkey's seismically active regions, not only the 2023 earthquake zone",
      "sources": [
        "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/turkey-detains-building-contractors-as-earthquake-deaths-rise-past-33000",
        "https://www.context.news/money-power-people/rotten-buildings-corruption-in-spotlight-after-turkey-quake"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds": [
    {
      "action": "Request or commission an independent 'riskli yapi' (risky-building) structural assessment through a Ministry-licensed institution under Law No. 6306, rather than relying on the occupancy permit alone",
      "success_rate": 0.75,
      "how": "Building owners or occupants can apply to an engineering firm, university, professional chamber office, or other institution licensed by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to carry out a structural risk survey (site/soil study plus load-bearing-system inspection); the resulting 'riskli yapi' determination is independent of the building's permit history.",
      "condition": "",
      "sources": [
        "https://csb.gov.tr/sss/riskli-yapilar",
        "https://altyapi.csb.gov.tr/riskli-yapi-tespiti-ile-ilgili-kuruluslar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "Before renting, buying, or staying long-term, consult a licensed structural/civil engineer for an independent opinion rather than relying on a landlord's or seller's assurances about the building's permit status",
      "success_rate": 0.65,
      "how": "",
      "condition": "",
      "sources": [
        "https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/turkey-travel-advisory.html"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds_zh": [],
  "transition_graph": {
    "leads_to": [],
    "preceded_by": [],
    "frequently_confused_with": []
  },
  "official_doc_url": null,
  "official_doc_section": null,
  "error_code": null,
  "verification_tier": "ai_generated",
  "confidence": 0.75,
  "fix_success_rate": 0.75,
  "resolvable": "true",
  "first_seen": "2026-08-10",
  "last_confirmed": "2026-08-10",
  "last_updated": "2026-08-10",
  "evidence_count": 4,
  "tags": [],
  "locale": "en",
  "aliases": [
    "disaster/occupancy-permit-not-earthquake-proof/tr"
  ]
}