The Turkish government has ordered the arrest of 113 suspects identified as being responsible for the collapse of thousands of buildings in last week’s devastating earthquakes.
According to Al Jazeera, while the quakes were powerful, experts are blaming poor construction for the extent of the damage and loss of life.
Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay announced on Saturday that investigation into anyone suspected of being responsible for the collapse of buildings was underway. So far, 131 suspects have been identified, with detention orders having been issued for 113 of them.
‘We will follow this up meticulously until the necessary judicial process is concluded, especially for buildings that suffered heavy damage and buildings that caused deaths and injuries’, Oktay said.
State-owned news agency, Anadolu, reported that police have already detained the developer of a collapsed residential complex in Antakya while he was about to board a flight to Montenegro on Friday.
The man has maintained his innocence, saying that his company ‘fulfilled all procedures set out in legislation’, and that ‘All licences were obtained’. His desire to fly to Montenegro was unrelated, he said.
According to Environment Minister Murat Kurum, some 24 921 structures across the impacted region had collapsed or suffered heavy damage. Prosecutors have begun to gather samples of the most severely damaged buildings, searching for any signs of building malpractice.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have accused President Erdogan’s government of not enforcing construction regulations, as well as misspending special taxes levied for the purpose of making buildings more resistant to earthquakes following the last major earthquake in 1999.
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