Crisis Management In Public Administration: A Comparison Of The August 17 and February 6 Earthquakes

Crisis management in public administration aims to effectively handle unexpected situations and ensure the continuity of public services. The concept is a strategic process that aims to ensure effective intervention against events that have occurred or may occur in a crisis and to minimize the effects that the crisis may create. In crisis management, situations such as natural disasters, economic crises, epidemics, terrorist acts and political instability necessitate effective crisis management in public administration. The aim of this study is to examine the crisis management practices of the public in Türkiye through the examples of August 17 and February 6 and to evaluate the strategies implemented in crisis situations. In this context, how the legal regulations that have been implemented in Türkiye's crisis management approach over time have affected crisis intervention mechanisms will be discussed. The study seeks answers to the following basic research questions: Why is crisis management important in public administration and what are its basic components? How have crisis management processes been shaped in Türkiye and how have they evolved over time? What structural-institutional improvements are necessary to increase Türkiye's crisis management capacity? The hypothesis to be tested within the scope of the study is that effective crisis management strategies increase the continuity of public services and the trust of the society. As a result, crisis management is not limited to the measures taken only during the crisis, but is a process that requires long-term strategic planning. In the existing literature, crisis management is addressed at a theoretical level and with single events. This study, on the other hand, makes a holistic contribution to the literature by comparatively examining two major and different crisis examples. Expected results at the end of the study: The strengths and weaknesses of crisis management in Türkiye will be analyzed and suggestions will be presented to policy makers; In addition to pre-crisis planning and risk estimation processes, a proactive public administration model will be proposed in practice instead of reactive public administration, with emphasis on the moment of crisis. Keywords: Crisis Management, Crisis, Public Administration.