Düzce Governor Mehmet Makas: Lessons from the Earthquake for Personal Finance

Düzce Governor Mehmet Makas highlighted the importance of disaster preparedness after commemorating the 27th anniversary of the 1999 Marmara Earthquake, emphasizing that the tragedy serves as a critical lesson for personal wealth management. Makas stressed that individuals must reassess their savings and investment habits following such disasters.

■18,000 people lost their lives in the earthquake.

■10 billion TL in disaster preparedness investments were made in Turkey since 1999.

■Personal credit rates increased by 2.5% post-earthquake.

■Earthquake insurance adoption in the Marmara Region rose by 15%.

Personal wealth management experts argue that the earthquake anniversary should not be confined to social responsibility. They recommend that financial markets enhance resilience by encouraging individual investors to regularly review their risk profiles and increase allocations to emergency savings accounts.