Researcher expects devastating earthquakes in Turkey

ALBAWABA - A Dutch researcher continued to draw attention to his prophecies on Mideast earthquakes, despite scientist assertions that tremors cannot be predicted.

A day before the latest two earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, the researcher, Frank Hogeerbeets, tweeted that a strong earthquake might occur between Feb. 20 -  22.

Astonishment following an accurate earthquakes' forecast 

After the two earthquakes hit, the researcher's tweet was clearly noticeable, when he reposted it again. 

Fans expressed their astonishment by his accuracy and asked him to continue publishing his forecasts.

 This comes in the midst of repeated assurances from earthquake experts that an earthquake can never be predicted, neither in a place nor in a time.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) debunked claims on its Website that earthquakes can be predicted.

"Neither the USGS nor any other scientists have ever predicted a major earthquake," it said. "We do not know how, and we do not expect to know how any time in the foreseeable future."

In another tweet, he wrote that "if the planetary geometry will be as obvious as the geometry that preceded the Izmit earthquake in 1999, then a major earthquake warning would be in effect".

The Dutch researcher is said to be raising a lot of controversy about the movement of earthquakes and their connection to the movement of the planets since he correctly predicted, previously, that a devastating earthquake would hit areas of Turkey, Syria and some areas on Feb. 6.

Hogeerbeets: a researcher not a prophet

The scientist, however, refuses to be called prophet, for instance, due to his repetitive accurate expectations. According to him, since his accuracy is based on calculations and scientific studies, it can then be called 'forecasts'.

He is a researcher who studies relationship between earthquakes and planetary positions, and a software programmer at SSGEOS, which is a research institute for monitoring geometry between celestial bodies related to seismic activity.

Two earthquakes, measuring 6.4 and 5.8 on the Richter scale, hit Turkey and Syria on Monday. The quakes were said to be felt in 10 countries, including Jordan and Lebanon.

Aftershocks are still expected in the coming days.