Contractors responsible for unsafe structures remain at large

ISTANBUL

Despite extensive searches, the contractors responsible for constructing unsafe buildings that collapsed in the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes are still on the loose, leaving authorities empty-handed after months of investigation.

After the Feb. 6 quakes, expert reports have revealed a series of concerning findings regarding the collapsed buildings.

These reports indicate that columns were deliberately cut in some of the structures, while many were constructed in violation of building regulations.

Additionally, instances of material theft were detected, and it also came to light that certain buildings had taken advantage of zoning amnesty.

Several contractors, who were the subject of investigations, were apprehended while attempting to escape following the quakes.

Recently, the police arrested Mehmet Özat, the contractor responsible for the construction of the Emlak Bank Houses in the southern province of Hatay, where a significant number of individuals perished under the rubble.

Other contractors who are accountable for the significant loss of life are currently evading capture.

One of them is Hikmet Günsay, who advertised his houses in Hatay using the slogan "The finest materials and technology" and was responsible for the collapse of one of every four structures he constructed.

Additionally, on the wanted list is Fevzi Yılmaz, the contractor of the Farklı Yaşam Rende Sitesi in Hatay, where 106 individuals perished in the earthquakes.

The 16-story Sami Bey Apartment Building in Adana tragically became the final resting place for 40 individuals. The contractors responsible for its construction, Abdullah Aybaba and his daughter, Eda Aybaba Çelik, are still at large.

Police also arrested Ertan Danacı, the interior designer of the Ezgi Apartment building, where 35 people died, on the charges of "intentional killing with probable intent." The venue's owners, Mustafa Pekel and Sami Kervancıoğlu were acquitted of the charge of negligence-induced death, and an arrest warrant was issued for them.