Earthquake survivor continuing justice vigil: They are mocking us

Döne Kaya, who lost her relatives in the February 6 earthquakes, continued the justice vigil she started 10 weeks ago, this time at Ulus Square. Kaya's statement was supported by Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Sırrı Süreyya Önder, the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), and Döne Kaya's brother.

In her statement, Döne Kaya said, "I came here to cry out for justice for my mother, my sister, my brother, and my nine-month-old niece. Because 17 months ago, I lost my family due to negligence. There isn't a single word to describe what I have experienced and felt over the past 516 days."

"THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE HAS NOT FILED THE CASE FOR 17 MONTHS"

Stating that "with every passing day that justice is not served, what I have been through multiplies," Kaya said that no case has yet been filed regarding those who were negligent in the building that collapsed in the earthquake. Kaya said, "The prosecutor's office, which has the word 'republic' in its name, has not filed the case for exactly 17 months. The prosecutor's office is refraining from revealing who killed the citizens of the Republic of Turkey who passed away on February 6," she said.

"THE BUILDING WAS BUILT ACCORDING TO THE 1999 REGULATION"

Calling out, "It is clear who is guilty, from the contractor to the ministry. So where is justice?" Kaya continued:

"I lost my family because Fuat Koku and his son Murat Fuatoğlu, who caused the death of 65 people, and building inspector Ali Onur Çinçinoğlu built the building they constructed in 2016 not according to the 2007 earthquake regulation but according to the 1997 earthquake regulation, and because the Antakya Municipality did not sign off on the soil survey. The inconsistency of the opinions stated in the expert report regarding the liquefaction analysis in the soil continues throughout the report. I ask: The report prepared by AFAD in 2021 states that the location of the building has weak and alluvial soil, and yet they turned a blind eye to building on this soil. How can the ground of this building, located on the Amik Plain, turn out to be flawless? In the evaluation made, it was not taken into account that the failure to shield the building's foundation system from 4 sides could lead to irregularity, and it was not mentioned that a structure shielded from 3 sides would also affect the vibration modes and mass participation ratios."

"WE ARE BEING MOCKED"

Repeating her call for the prosecution of public officials who were negligent in the construction of the buildings that collapsed in the earthquakes, Kaya said, "The ultimate responsibility for designing and operating the laws, regulations, and building inspection system in this process, which determines all construction, lies with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Therefore, the fact that structures collapsed due to a non-functioning inspection system, that thousands of structures collapsed because it did not conduct effective inspections and did not build a safe construction process, and because it left the construction process to profit-oriented organizations, makes the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization the primary culprit in this entire process, that is, for every structure that collapsed. The person who should be on trial for the February 6 earthquakes is being reappointed to the ministry. We are being mocked. Either put all responsible public officials on trial, or let us go to an early election. At least 53 thousand people died in this country," she said.

"I WANT JUSTICE FOR MY SON AND DAUGHTER"

Sema Ulupınar, who was trapped under the rubble with her family during the earthquake, said in her statement, "My husband and I were rescued 6 hours after the earthquake with the help of people, but my daughter and son remained under the rubble for four days. My daughter was rescued on the fourth day, but her treatment is still ongoing. I lost my son. We lost 44 lives in that killer building. I want justice for my son, my daughter, and those 44 lives," she stated.

"IF JUSTICE IS NOT SERVED, FAMILIES ARE BURIED UNDER THE RUBBLE ONCE AGAIN"

Supporting the statement made by the earthquake survivors, Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Sırrı Süreyya Önder began his remarks by saying, "I am here today as a member of an earthquake-affected family." Önder continued his words as follows:

"We lost dozens of our relatives in Adıyaman. Our homes were destroyed. Now, we are trying to contribute with all our might to be a voice in Parliament for the families seeking rights and justice. If justice is not served, the families seeking justice and the earthquake survivors are buried under the rubble once again. This pain multiplies. If there is no justice, the light of a country goes out. Our country is an earthquake country. To take precautions against earthquakes, those responsible must be held accountable before justice. If this is not done, while you are carrying out urban transformation on one hand, a public official does not hesitate to sign whatever comes before them, thinking that no one has been put on trial to this day anyway. The way to prevent possible loss of life in future earthquakes is for those responsible to be held accountable before justice. There is no mechanism more effective than this. When everyone responsible appears before the court, you take the most effective precaution for the future."

News Source: 12punto