The earthquake that struck Turkey last year left thousands of victims and wounded and massive damage to buildings (Getty)

Ankara -

“The Catastrophe of the Age”, “Kahramanmaraş Earthquake 2023”, “Turkey-Syria Earthquake” or “February 6 Earthquake”. The names and descriptions are many, the death and the catastrophic result are the same.

A whole year has passed since the devastating earthquake that struck large parts of Turkey and northern Syria at 4:17 am local time.

According to experts' estimates, more than a quarter of Turkey's population fell under the influence of this devastating disaster after two earthquakes - the first with a magnitude of 7.8 and the other with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale - struck more than 10 Turkish states with a 9-hour difference between the two earthquakes, and the epicenter of the two earthquakes was the regions of Pazardjik and Elbestan. In Kahramanmaraş province, south of the country.

According to official reports, nearly 14 million citizens were directly affected by the two earthquakes in an area of ​​120,000 square kilometers, resulting in major destruction in 11 governorates, 124 regions, and 6,929 villages and neighborhoods.

At that time, the country, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declared a level four state of alert and emergency, including activating the reception of international assistance.

Over the course of many days, teams from 93 countries participated in rescue and relief work, and as a result of the double earthquake that struck Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Kilis, Adana, Malatya, Elazig, and Kahramanmaraş, 53,537 people lost their lives and 107,213 people were injured.

Mechanisms remove the rubble of destroyed buildings in the heart of Kahramanmaraş (Al Jazeera)

Losses and files

In light of these large human losses and hundreds of thousands of homes that were completely or partially destroyed, and hours after the first shock - amid waves of anger and widespread controversy - the official authorities began judicial and security actions against a number of contractors and building and construction supervisors.

In the context of ongoing investigations, the Public Prosecutor of Hatay State - which witnessed widespread devastation - Ahmet Celik Kol, said that "975 buildings out of 1,759 buildings that were destroyed and deaths occurred as a result of the February 6 earthquake were unlicensed."

The Public Prosecutor explained in press statements that 113 people were arrested as part of the ongoing investigations into the earthquake, and continued, “They were arrested due to construction defects in the destroyed buildings in the areas of Antakya and Buraymah in the center of the state.”

Regarding the mechanism of the Public Prosecutor’s Office dealing with the event, Cole added, “Initially, 22,581 preliminary investigation files were opened through the Earthquake Crimes Investigation Office, and as a result of the specialized field examination and evaluation, the number of files decreased to 3,522 files.”

The Public Prosecutor indicated that the building permit files in the municipalities of Antakya and Dafna were seized by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as part of the investigation process and to prevent the loss of evidence.

He said, "1,370 license files from the municipality of Antakya and 231 license files from the municipality of Dafna were delivered and kept in the official secretariat office."

Investigation methodology

The Public Prosecutor explained that samples of columns, foundations and concrete in the collapsed buildings were taken with the help of civil engineers, geological engineers, architects and technicians, and concrete and iron samples were sent to laboratories for measurement and examination.

Celik Kul explained the committees’ work mechanism, saying, “The results and documents are sent to an expert committee consisting of 5-7 faculty members specializing in analysis in the construction departments of Turkish universities,” and pointed out that they are in communication and cooperation with 14 Turkish universities in order to accelerate and follow up the work.

Official information indicates that 883 defendants are being tried in general and at different stages, and lawsuits have been filed against them within the scope of investigations conducted in 8 states - especially in Hatay, the most affected - regarding the buildings that were turned into coffins as a result of the February 6 earthquake.

In the state of Gaziantep, the capital of southern Turkey, following previous procedures, 24 buildings were identified that needed investigation, and after completion in 18 buildings, lawsuits were filed against 42 people (contractor, project manager, project owner), and as a result 10 of them were arrested, while investigations continue. In the remaining 6 buildings, the collapse of which resulted in the deaths of 35 people.

In the states of Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa, Kilis, and Adana, approximately 346 complaints were filed, and 160 of them were turned into follow-up cases in the Turkish courts in which 545 defendants are being tried, and the number of those arrested is estimated at 67 people, while the data indicates that there are more than 35 fugitives.

One of the collapsed buildings in Hatay due to the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey (Al Jazeera)

Loading responsibilities

In the same context, the representative of the Happiness Party in the state of Hatay, Necmettin Çeleshkan, told Al Jazeera Net, “The reason for the tragedy of the disaster in Hatay - despite the epicenter of the earthquake being Kahramanmaraş - is the absence of oversight throughout the state and the lack of follow-up and prior inspection, especially on the nature of construction lands.” As well as constructing a large number of buildings without a license.”

According to Representative Çeleshkan, a large number of judicial files and cases were delved into and prepared under the pressure and anger of society.

He said, "The contractors and project managers were held responsible, but in fact the first to be involved is the political will and the legislator, and I believe that the investigations did not take up the necessary space."

The opposition MP added, "The mistakes of the past are being repeated in Hatay. There are a number of citizens who have begun to build according to their desires and without commitment to the system."

Çeleshkan continued, "Suspension of a large number of contractors and project managers hinders the amicable solution process and hinders the treatment of some errors that can be corrected, such as the restoration of moderately damaged buildings."

On the other hand, the Public Prosecution demands a prison sentence of up to 22 years and 6 months for those accused of “causing the death of more than one person through intentional negligence.”

Source: Al Jazeera