The city that didn’t collapse: How Erzin became a haven from Turkey’s earthquake

Residents and officials say Erzin suffered no deaths and saw no buildings collapse, and they credit a long-standing policy not to allow construction that violated the country’s codes.

A man holds a blanket outside a train using as a shelter in Iskenderun city, southern Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Thousands left homeless by a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria a week ago packed into crowded tents or lined up in the streets for hot meals as the desperate search for survivors entered what was likely its last hours. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) (Hussein Malla, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

ERZIN, Turkey – Death and destruction surround Erzin.

But this tiny city in Turkey’s southern Hatay province is an oasis of safety and normality while life throughout the region has been overturned by last week’s earthquake.

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Residents and officials say Erzin suffered no deaths and saw no buildings collapse in the powerful temblor, and they credit a long-standing determination not to allow construction that violated the country’s codes.

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