Turkey's active fault map updated after 13 years, 215 new fault lines added

The General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration announced that Turkey's Active Fault Map has been updated after a 13-year hiatus and 215 new active fault lines have been added to the map.

Scraper SystemJune 22, 2026, 02:33 PM

Turkey's active fault map updated after 13 years, 215 new fault lines added

Vedat Yanık, General Director of the Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), reported that Turkey's Active Fault Map has been updated after 13 years, with the support of the data accumulated through MTA's detailed field studies and academic research. Yanık, at the Scientific Activities Week and the 91st

In his speech at the launch of the Turkey Active Fault Map-2026 as part of the anniversary, he expressed satisfaction in sharing the new map version with the public. MTA HAS MADE COUNTLESS DISCOVERIES Follow our news on Google Add us to your favorites to instantly access the latest news and breaking developments via Google.

Add us as a preferred source on Google. Yanık, stating that the strategic value of MTA, founded in 1935 with the vision of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and now 91 years old, is increasing day by day, recalled Gazi Mustafa Kemal's words when heralding the establishment of our institution: 'We have assigned the task of geologically investigating one by one the country's other yet unknown riches to the Mineral Research and Exploration Institute.'

They will work. We wish for happy surprises.' These words, for 91 years, have bequeathed to us not just a job description but the excitement of seeking those 'happy surprises' and an unending passion for discovery, he said.

Yanık stated that over nearly a century, MTA has made countless discoveries, from the first oil discovery in Batman to the world's most strategic Rare Earth Elements fields in Eskişehir-Beylikova, from rich copper deposits in Elazığ-Maden, Sinop-Boyabat and Kahramanmaraş to hundreds of industrial raw material sources that are the lifeblood of industry.

NEW ACTIVE FAULT MAP PUBLISHED. Noting that global balances are changing and the need for minerals is increasing, Yanık continued: The increasing energy need, sustainable resource management, climate change and the relentless competition for critical raw materials are increasing the strategic importance of earth sciences day by day.

MTA, taking a leading role in this new world order, continues its domestic, innovative and environmentally sensitive exploration activities supported by modern technologies with determination. Today, we share the pride of publishing the 'Turkey Active Fault Map-2026' version, an extremely vital national data infrastructure that crowns our anniversary.

For our country, located in the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt, presenting the active tectonic structure with up-to-date and accurate data is not only a scientific study but a strategic necessity for national security, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction.

215 NEW FAULT LINES ADDED. Yanık pointed out that in the 13 years since the map was published in 2013, a significant amount of data has been accumulated through detailed field studies and academic work. Noting that the update project, included in the investment program in 2022, was completed after intensive effort, Yanık said the number of active faults, which was 485 in the 2013 edition, has risen to 700 in this map in light of new data.

This map and the digital database we have prepared will be a fundamental reference source for earthquake hazard analyses, critical infrastructure investments and our national loss reduction policies, he assessed. MTA SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES WEEK-2026 TO LAST FIVE DAYS. Yanık stated that MTA is not only an institution that conducts exploration in the field, but also Turkey's most established school of earth sciences.

Pointing out that sharing scientific production and developing inter-institutional cooperation has always been a fundamental priority, Yanık noted: 'The MTA Scientific Activities Week-2026, which we are opening today and will last for 5 days, is one of the finest fruits of this school.'

The 48 oral and 20 poster presentations to be presented within the scope of the event will bring together the results of projects carried out within our institution with representatives from academia, the public sector and the industry. I know very well that this 91-year glorious history is the product of the sweat poured day and night in the mountains, valleys and laboratories, and the sacrifices of our engineers, researchers and other employees.

In the second century of our Republic, as we walk with firm steps towards our 100th anniversary, I wholeheartedly believe that we will together achieve our goal of bringing Turkey to a leading position in the world earth sciences and mining sector. Don't Miss: 3.6 magnitude earthquake in Düzce View the news Don't Miss: Successive earthquakes in the Mediterranean: First a 4.7 then a 5.3 magnitude tremor occurred View the news

Turkey's active fault map updated after 13 years, 215 new fault lines added

The General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration announced that Turkey's Active Fault Map has been updated after a 13-year hiatus and 215 new active fault lines have been added to the map.