Ahmet Mete Işıkara (22 October 1941 – 21 January 2013) was a Turkish geophysicist and earthquake scientist, well known for his efforts to create public awareness of the need for earthquakes-related protection and safety.
Ahmet Mete Işıkara | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 October 1941 Mersin, Turkey |
| Died | 21 January 2013 (aged 71) Istanbul, Turkey |
| Resting place | Feriköy Cemetery, Istanbul |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Alma mater | Istanbul University Imperial College London University of Göttingen |
| Known for | Efforts to create public awareness of the need for protection and safety during earthquakes |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Seismology, Geomagnetism |
| Institutions | Boğaziçi University |
Early years
editIşıkara was born 1941 in Mersin. In 1947 he went to primary school and in 1954 to junior high school in Mersin.[1] After finishing high school in Mersin, he studied in Istanbul University graduating in 1965. In the same year, he began his academic career as an geophysics assistant at the Faculty of Science.[2] He continued his studies in Imperial College London and University of Göttingen.[1]
Ahmet Mete Işıkara married in 1969 to Aysel Ahıska, the daughter of singer Necmi Rıza Ahıska. From this marriage, son Cengiz and daughter Yeşim were born.[1]
Career
editUp to 1976, Işıkara studied on the terrestrial magnetism.[1] Between 1976 and 1983 he served as the chairman of the Turkish National Geodesy and Geophysics Association and as well as the Aeronomy Commission between 1976 and 1983.[2]
From 1979 to 1982, he was the coordinator of the European Workgroup for Earthquake Prediction, and in the years 1980-1983 he represented Turkey in the Earthquake Specialists Committee of the Council of Europe.[2]
In 1985, he entered Boğaziçi University, and was appointed assistant director of Earthquake Research Center of Kandilli Observatory. In 1991, he became director of the observatory, and served at this post until 2002.[2]
Following the 1999 İzmit earthquake, he repeatedly addressed people on television to create awareness for protection and safety during earthquakes. In this period, he earned the nickname Deprem Dede (English: Grandpa Earthquake).[2] His quote "Quakes don’t kill, buildings do." became famous.[3]
In 2003, he was appointed chairman of the newly established Association of Preparation for Disaster and Training for Earthquake (Turkish: Afete Hazırlık ve Deprem Eğitimi Derneği (AHDER)).[2][4] Işıkara was last serving as the head consultant of the Turkish Red Crescent.[3]
Politics
editIşıkara tried to enter politics in the 2002 general elections, running for a seat in the parliament from the True Path Party (DYP).[5] According to election system of Turkey, parties which receive less than 10% of all votes are not qualified to gain seats in the parliament.[6] In the 2002 elections, DYP received slightly less than 10% and Işıkara was not able to enter the parliament.[7]
Death
editAhmet Mete Işıkara died on 21 January 2013 due to respiratory insufficiency in a hospital in Istanbul, where he had been treated for 44 days in the intensive care unit. He was laid to rest at the Feriköy Cemetery, Istanbul.
Legacy
editA primary school in Mersin is named after him [8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Biography (in Turkish)
- ^ a b c d e f Almaçayır, Ramazan (2013-01-22). "Deprem Dede hayatını kaybetti". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2013-01-22.
- ^ a b "Turkey's leading seismologist Işıkara dies". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2013-01-22.
- ^ Haberturk news page (in Turkish)
- ^ "10 bin 83 aday vekillik için yarışacak". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Terazi bulletin Archived 2013-04-18 at archive.today
- ^ A&G Outcome of elections page Archived 2012-10-31 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ School page (in Turkish)