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What is HAARP? Conspiracy theorists push bizarre reason blaming US for devastating earthquake in Turkey

Theories on social media are suggesting that a secret climate control weapon may be responsible for the devastating earthquake in Turkey

ISTANBUL, TURKEY: The world is still in shock after the terrible 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 6, and the death toll continues to rise. So far, more than 7,800 people have been killed by the quakes, and tens of thousands more have been injured. Thousands of buildings were reduced to rubble, while hundreds of thousands sought shelter.

However, according to The Guardian, there are fears that the death toll will rise, with the World Health Organization estimating that up to 20,000 people may have died. In a tweet, US Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough compared the magnitude of the first earthquake in Turkey to the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, which killed more than 3,000 people. On the other hand, several people on social media have now put forth evidence-free theories that a secret climate control weapon allegedly owned by the US military, HAARP, may be involved.

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What is HAARP?

According to University of Alaska Fairbanks, HAARP, short for High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, is the world's most powerful high-frequency transmitter for ionospheric research. Ionosphere is the area where the Earth's atmosphere meets space.As stated by NASA, "the ionosphere stretches roughly 50 to 400 miles above Earth's surface, right at the edge of space. Along with the neutral upper atmosphere, the ionosphere forms the boundary between Earth's lower atmosphere — where we live and breathe — and the vacuum of space."

HAARP has become a popular subject of conspiracy theories about its use for weather modification or mind control. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez blamed HAARP for the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which had a magnitude of 7.0, Britannica reports. The death toll was more than 300,000.

'Earthquake in Turkey looks like punitive operation'

Following the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, conspiracies circulated under the hashtag #HAARP with more than 102,000 tweets, Gercek News reports. A series of videos showing lightning strikes at the time of the earthquake are posted on Twiiter, claiming the earthquake was artificially generated. One of them wrote, "The earthquake in Turkey looks like a punitive operation (HAARP) by NATO or the US against Turkey. The video shows lightning strikes, which are not normal in earthquakes, but always happen in harp operations." One more said, "No such thing as COINCIDENCE. Turkey rejected a NATO expansion a week ago, and now faces a massive earthquake. HAARP." Another wrote, "Sad to hear about the earthquake in Turkey. It's very suspicious that there was lightening in the Sky before the disaster. If you don't know what project HAARP is then search it up. Coincidentally when Turkey was becoming a thorn in NATO's neck regarding Russia." 

Video circulated is dated 2022 not 2023

While one of many continued to write, "Turkish Twitter seems to think the Americans used HAARP to cause the earthquake." Amidst the scores of tweets, it was pointed out that the video circulating is dated 2022, not 2023. A user tweeted, "The 2023 balloon was distraction from 2022 HAARP? WOW!"

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