Mayor faces prison sentence in deadly building collapse

GAZİANTEP

An indictment has been issued in the wake of an apartment building collapse that occurred during the February earthquakes in Gaziantep's Nurdağı district, seeking prison sentences of up to 22 years and six months for six individuals, including Nurdağı Mayor Ökkeş Kavak.

The collapse of the Kavak Apartment claimed the lives of 26 people and left numerous others injured.

As a result of a thorough investigation conducted following the devastating incident, three individuals were arrested, including building manager Mustafa T., construction site chief Serdar Çelebi K. and laboratory technician Fatma D. Additionally, it was determined that application inspector Mine S.S. and control personnel Ömer Faruk Ö. should face trial without being detained.

The indictment seeks convictions for Kavak, who was the contractor for the building constructed in the years before his mayoral post, and the other defendants. They are charged with "causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence," with potential sentences ranging from two years and eight months to 22 years and six months in prison.

The indictment reveals that the building's construction commenced in 1998 without a proper license, while alleging that it had been falsely presented as if construction had just begun in 2013, with fraudulent documentation used to secure a building permit.

The report further exposes that the structure was constructed with a counterfeit ground survey report under the name R.K. and without a static project calculation report. It was also found to have insufficient reinforcement detailing and subpar quality of materials used in its construction.