DISINFO: Earthquake in Turkey was the result of US use of seismic or tectonic weapons
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
  • Outlet: livenews.am (archived)* livenews.am (archived)*
  • Date of publication: February 07, 2023
  • Article language(s): Armenian
  • Reported in: Issue 329
  • Countries / regions discussed: Turkey, US
Tags:
Conspiracy theory

DISINFO: Earthquake in Turkey was the result of US use of seismic or tectonic weapons

SUMMARY

There are reasons to believe that the devastating earthquakes that hit Turkey and Iran a few days ago are of artificial origin, more specifically, they are the result of the use of geophysical weapons by the US, in particular, seismic or tectonic weapons. Recently, Washington has had serious problems with Turkey. The relations between Ankara and Washington have become very tense almost turning into hostility, which could have been the reason for the use of seismic weapons by the US.

RESPONSE

Conspiracy theory. There is no evidence of the existence of seismic weapons.

Conspiracy theories have been a staple of the Russian information warfare arsenal for years. Conspiracy theories about biological, ethnic and nuclear weapons are part of the wider pro-Kremlin disinformation policy.

After devastating earthquakes, conspiracy theories emerge, usually associated with the military forces of the US or the former USSR, the main position of which is the artificial nature of the earthquake associated with the use of tectonic weapons. Similar reports, for example, appeared in connection with the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, and with the Spitak earthquake in 1988. though no evidence is advanced.

A tectonic weapon is a fantasy hypothetical device or system which could trigger earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or other seismic events in specified locations by interfering with the Earth's natural geological processes.

The 1978 Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques is an international treaty ratified by 75 states, and signed by a further 17, that prohibits the use of environmental modification techniques to cause earthquakes and tsunamis, amongst other phenomena.

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Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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