The Marmara Earthquake of August 17, 1999 (Mw7.4)
and the Duzce Earthquake of November 12, 1999 (Mw
7.2), caused devastation in parts of Northwestern Turkey.
Over 20,000 lives were lost, thousands of houses, public
and private buildings were destroyed or damaged, as well
as an important part of the infrastructure. At least one or
possibly more such quakes are expected in the region over
the coming decades, making disaster mitigation a major
issue.