ISTANBUL, March 30 (Xinhua) -- As Istanbul gears up for Sunday's local elections, the focus of many voters remains fixed on the city's readiness to withstand earthquakes, spurred by memories of last year's catastrophic tremor in southern Türkiye.

In February last year, a devastating earthquake hit southern Türkiye, killing 55,000 people and displacing millions more. The catastrophe heightened concerns in Istanbul, a city long warned by experts to be vulnerable to a powerful earthquake due to its location at the western terminus of the North Anatolian Fault Line.

Bingul Albay, 68, an Istanbul resident, voiced her apprehension over the city's vulnerability to major earthquakes and believed that the measures implemented in this regard were inadequate.

"The matter of urban transformation and readiness for a potential earthquake is the foremost concern for Istanbul," she said, expressing hope that the incoming mayor would promptly and decisively address these issues.

Necip Varan, a resident of the Ortakoy neighborhood on the European side, also voiced his doubts regarding the structural resilience of buildings in his area.

"My home is situated on Dereboyu (Stream Bank) Street, which suggests the presence of a waterway beneath," Varan told Xinhua while actively participating in the election campaign for the candidate from the Workers' Party of Türkiye.

"In the case of an earthquake, will we be able to survive under these buildings?" he said, emphasizing his expectation for the incoming mayor to address this pressing question.

To calm the concerns of residents, the city government initiated a scanning program to test the strength of the buildings.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the current mayor representing the Republican People's Party (CHP), disclosed on his website that municipal teams have conducted earthquake risk analyses on over 100,000 buildings since the deadly earthquake.

The mayor stated that the municipality had evacuated and demolished nearly 1,600 buildings, completing 16 projects totaling 10,039 units.

Meanwhile, Imamoglu's main rival, Murat Kurum, the candidate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has pledged to kickstart the transformation of 650,000 houses if elected to office.

Gungor Ugrac, an electoral worker at the AKP election tent in the Besiktas district, said Kurum's electoral teams had prepared a highly detailed brochure outlining his plans for earthquake preparedness in the event of his victory in the elections.

"Young people and families may cast their votes for the candidate who presents robust earthquake preparedness projects," he told Xinhua.

Aysel Kaynar, an official at the CHP's election tent in Besiktas, emphasized that people are primarily concerned about Imamoglu's plans and initiatives regarding earthquakes.

"The zoning procedures are straightforward, and permits are issued promptly. Those interested in renovating their buildings can proceed without delay," Kaynar said when explaining the procedures involved in transforming old buildings.

On March 31, an estimated 11.3 million people are anticipated to vote in Istanbul. The election is expected to be highly competitive between candidates from the AKP and CHP. Enditem

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