Hatay earthquake survivor files criminal complaint against former Hatay Governor Doğan: 'He is responsible for thousands of deaths'

Cahit Aşkar, who lost his wife Ayşegül and son Latif Muhammed in the February 6 earthquakes in Hatay, has filed a criminal complaint against the former Hatay Governor Rahmi Doğan.

According to a report by Mehmet Oflaz from ANKA; the Çağ Apartment building in the Antakya district of Hatay was also destroyed in the February 6 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş. 15 people, including Ayşegül Aşkar and Latif Muhammed Aşkar, lost their lives in the building, which turned into a pile of rubble.

Cahit Aşkar, who lives in Hatay, held the former Hatay Governor Rahmi Doğan responsible for the deaths of his wife Ayşegül, his son Latif Muhammed, and other citizens. Cahit Aşkar filed a criminal complaint with the Hatay Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, alleging that the former governor Rahmi Doğan committed the crime of "misconduct in office."

In his petition for the criminal complaint, Aşkar stated, "In both earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, with epicenters in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş province, many buildings in Hatay province were destroyed and damaged. Thousands of people, including my wife Ayşegül Aşkar and my son Latif Muhammet Aşkar, who were trapped under the rubble of the collapsed buildings, lost their lives, were injured, and lost their property. No aid reached Hatay province for several days, including on the day of the disaster. As a result, hundreds of people who might have been saved could not be rescued and lost their lives."

"NO SUPPORT ARRIVED FOR SEVERAL DAYS"

Citing articles 8, 15, 17, and 26 of the Disaster and Emergency Response Services Regulation in his petition, Aşkar used the following expressions:

"As can be understood from the regulation articles listed above, the most important duty in a disaster situation falls to the governor of the province. In the earthquake that occurred on February 6, 2023, the most important duty for Hatay province fell to the former governor Rahmi Doğan. For several days, including the day of the earthquake, all public institutions and organizations practically lost their functionality. The entire population of Hatay is the most important witness to the fact that although the former governor was tasked with conveying the necessary situation to authorized institutions and individuals and taking the necessary measures, he did not perform this duty. Because no support from the state reached the people of Hatay for several days. People lost their lives with cries for help, and bodies were lost under the rubble."

"WHAT KIND OF ORDER DID HE GIVE TO THE RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS?"

Cahit Aşkar said that former Hatay Governor Rahmi Doğan should answer the following questions: "What information did he provide to which institution and person about the situation in Hatay on the day of the earthquake? Did he tell the teams setting out for Hatay on the day of the earthquake that there were no problems in Hatay, and did he direct them to other provinces and prevent their entry into the city? What kind of order did he give to the relevant institutions and organizations on the day of the disaster? Did he tell the upper echelons of the state that there was no negative situation in Hatay? Did he become a parliamentary candidate nominee from the ruling party to save himself? Did he send Hatay's AFAD personnel to Kahramanmaraş?"

Aşkar said, "Rahmi Doğan, who was the civil administrator during the earthquakes that took place on February 6, 2023, did not fulfill the requirements of his duty. He did not fulfill the requirements of his duty either before or after the earthquake. Because of this failure to perform his duties, he is responsible for thousands of deaths, primarily those of my wife and son. For this reason, he should first be punished for the crime of misconduct in office, and then an effective investigation should be conducted regarding these deaths he caused," he said.