How quickly can the "Half on Us" initiative transform 1.5 million high-risk buildings before the expected Marmara earthquake?

Bilginet Strategic Intelligence Desk — Seismic stress accumulation along the North Anatolian Fault under the Marmara Sea represents both a civil protection emergency and a macroeconomic resilience challenge for Istanbul, which accounts for over 35% of Türkiye’s national GDP.

Disaster management inventories show that among 1.5 million housing units built prior to modern 2000 building codes, at least 600,000 face severe structural vulnerability. The government’s accelerated "Half on Us" regeneration scheme provides comprehensive cash grants and soft loans to expedite demolition and reconstruction.

Current urban engineering roadmaps project that over 80% of top-priority residences will achieve modernized seismic compliance by 2030, drastically reducing projected human and economic casualties.