'Compulsory earthquake insurance sales increase %100'

By Elif Ferhan Yesilyurt

ISTANBUL (AA) - Experts in Turkey warned people to take out compulsory earthquake insurance as soon as possible in order to protect themselves and their belongings from the destructive effects of a possible earthquake.

"Compulsory earthquake insurance sales increased 100% in our company as well as in the whole country," said Sibel Dogac, a sales director at Quick Sigorta, an Istanbul-based insurance company.

Thursday's 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Istanbul once again reminded people of the importance of insurance policies, Dogac told Anadolu Agency.

Earthquakes create periodical and short-term demand for insurance policies, she said.

"Earthquake risk is a reality for Turkey and DASK [earthquake insurance] is a must for everyone," Dogac warned.

Dogac urged people to take out a insurance without losing any time against the risk of losing all their assets due to material damage caused by a possible earthquake.

Some 24 people injured in a 5.8-magnitude tremor in Istanbul on Thursday were discharged from the hospital, Turkey's vice president said Friday.

Speaking at a meeting on a national disaster response plan in Istanbul, Fuat Oktay said treatment for 10 others was ongoing.

Some 314 aftershocks, the strongest being of magnitude 4.1, were recorded after the quake, Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said Saturday on Twitter.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz