ABSTRACT: Earthquake ground motion on a site depends on the fault rupture mechanism, the structure of the crust, and the properties of the near-surface soils and soft rocks. It is known that near-surface soils and soft sedimentary rocks can cause significant structural damage even at great distances from the earthquake source. This phenomenon was observed in recent earthquakes in our country. The 6.9 magnitude earthquake that occurred off the coast of Samos Island in the Aegean Sea on October 30, 2020, caused extensive damage in the İzmir Bayraklı district, which is approximately 70 km from the epicenter. On February 6, 2023, the 7.7 moment magnitude Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık earthquake caused great loss of life and destruction in large areas. The response spectra of the ground motions created by the Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık earthquake in the Antakya region of Hatay, were far above the design response spectra defined in the Turkish Building Earthquake Code. In this study, the site effects affecting the earthquake ground motions and the near-fault effects are summarized. Some of the ground motion records recorded during the 7.7 magnitude Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık earthquake in the Hatay region were examined and evaluated in terms of possible basin effects and near field effects.