More contractors taken into custody after quakes

ISTANBUL

Investigations against contractors responsible for the buildings that collapsed or were damaged in the quake zone continue.

A total of 245 suspects have been prosecuted so far in the investigations related to the buildings destroyed in the earthquakes, while 65 suspects were arrested within the scope of the investigations, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ informed.

Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against the contractors of the buildings that turned to dust during the quakes on the charge of “involuntary manslaughter.”

Five contractors were arrested in Istanbul, including Haydar Kurtar, the contractor of the Atabey Apartment building where Aleyna Ölmez was found alive after 248 hours, while another was arrested while fleeing to Greece by boat.

Contractor Mesut Başkır, who was issued an arrest warrant for “causing death or injury by negligence,” was captured while trying to escape to Greek islands with a sailboat off the coast of Muğla’s Marmaris district. The suspect was handed over to Muğla Provincial Security Directorate and sent to Kahramanmaraş after the procedures.

The teams of the Istanbul Financial Crimes Branch Directorate started to work to capture five contractors who were detected in Istanbul.

Hüseyin Aydın, the contractor of Hasel Complex; Alâeddin Taze, the contractor of Mehtap Apartment; Haydar Kurtar, the contractor of Atabey Complex; Ahmet Kara, the contractor of Hamidiye Complex; and Özcan Çakmak of Penta Park Complex were arrested and detained on Feb. 16. The suspects were handed over to Kahramanmaraş Provincial Security Directorate.

Arrest warrants have been issued for 15 suspects, including contractors, structural engineers, civil engineers, and cooperative managers of 11 demolished buildings in Adana. Police teams detained 15 suspects, including a woman. The suspects who were taken to the police station denied the charges against them during their interrogations. Of all of the suspects, 11 of them were referred to the courthouse and appeared before the judge on duty. A total of five were arrested while others were released.

While the interrogation of four suspects in custody is completed, it is learned that the police detained five more suspects. A total of nine suspects were referred to the courthouse after the police procedures were completed. Atilla T., Tamer E., Cem A., Abdullah Y., Ferit I., and Celal G. were arrested by the court. Other suspects Ömer Ş. and Fahri P. were released on judicial control and Saffet Y. was released upon the prosecutor’s instructions.

Concerning the collapsed buildings in Osmaniye, five of the suspects detained were arrested, while six of them were released with judicial control.

The investigations continued in Malatya as well. In the first stage, 19 of the 46 people for whom a detention warrant was issued were detained. After their procedures at the police station, 11 of the suspects were arrested, while the procedures of the remaining eight people are still ongoing. It is learned that the rest of the suspects who are also banned from leaving the country are in Ankara, Antalya, Çanakkale, Çorum, Istanbul, Konya and Ordu.

The 39 suspects detained in connection with the destroyed buildings in Diyarbakır were referred to the courthouse. Including some contractors, 15 suspects were arrested by the Criminal Court of Peace on duty on the charge of “killing with probable intent.” Around 24 people were released, while 22 are under judicial control. Efforts are underway to capture six fugitive suspects.

It was found that Celal İrkören, for whom a warrant was issued, was the contractor of the Sözel Apartment, and Halil İpek was the contractor of the Dündar Apartment. İrkören and İpek were trapped under the rubble of their own apartments and lost their lives.

Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Şanlıurfa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, an examination was carried out on the rubble of the Özabacılar Apartment Building in the Haliliye district, where 14 people died. Osman Ekren, the civil engineer of the apartment building in question, who was arrested in Istanbul and brought to Şanlıurfa, was arrested.