The earthquake on 6th February and its aftershocks have killed more than 43,000 people in Turkey and left millions without homes.
in an interview on the state-run TRT Haber channel last Wednesday, interior minister Suleyman Soylu said: “160 of them have been detained, 18 are in police custody and 175 have been released on bail.”
“We have banned all of those under investigation from travelling. Nothing is more precious than human life. We are being thorough.”
Tens of thousands of buildings collapsed without warning following the violent tremor as many people slept.
Turkish media has been vocal in criticising building firms for using shoddy materials and failing to comply with construction codes.
In the face of growing anger, several developers and contractors were arrested in the first days following the earthquake.
Environment minister Murat Kurum announced on Thursday that “1,250,000 buildings were examined in 11 provinces [and] 164,321 buildings made up of 520,000 independent units have already been destroyed, severely damaged or urgently need to be demoilished.
“We are making plans taking into account the cultural landscape, our children’s future and guaranteeing our towns are on safe ground,” Kurum added. “We will build the new housing with this in mind.”
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced plans to rebuild 270,000 homes in the devastated provinces within one year. Erdoğan has himself attracted fierce criticism after footage emerged last week of speeches he made during local election campaigning in 2019.
Videos on social media show the president telling audiences that he had “removed building standards-related headaches for hundreds of thousands of citizens” with his amnesty policy.
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Turkish authorities have launched a wide-reaching investigation into the construction sector following a deadly earthquake near Istanbul which killed more than 50 people.
The 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Izmir on October 30th, destroying buildings and damaging homes and businesses in the city of four million people. In the wake of the disaster, Turkey’s energy and natural resources minister, Fatih Donmez, announced that a nationwide probe would take place to investigate any possible negligence or malpractice in the construction sector.
Donmez told reporters that teams of experts would examine construction sites and issue warnings or fines as necessary. He stressed that the government was determined to ensure buildings meet the highest standards of safety and quality, in order to protect the public from further disasters. “We can’t allow this kind of activity,” he said. “From now on, the rules and criteria in the construction industry will be strictly enforced and violations will be dealt with harshly.”
The probe comes at a critical time for Turkey, as the country seeks to rebuild after months of lockdown measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Donmez acknowledged that the challenge of rebuilding with quality buildings was a big one, but that the government was confident these new measures would help ensure the safety of all citizens.
He also called on local governments, designers, and developers to work together to make Turkey’s buildings stronger. “In the aftermath of the Izmir earthquake, I call on construction firms, people responsible for plans and engineering, surveyors and local government to work together to strengthen our buildings,” he said.
The investigation is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and the results will be used to guide the government’s future regulations and policies. Donmez said the government was committed to ensuring safety, ensuring regulation and ending malpractice in the construction sector.
