Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç shares update on earthquake investigations

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, in a statement on his social media account, recalled that one year has passed since the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, and wished God's mercy upon those who lost their lives, while offering his condolences and patience to their families and the nation.

Stating that they assigned nearly 1,000 judges and prosecutors, 984 expert witnesses, 538 forensic medicine experts, and 8,951 courthouse staff from other provinces to the region from the moment of the earthquake to secure evidence, Tunç said they have preserved all evidence that will form the basis for expert examinations for every collapsed building.

"EVALUATION PROCESS CONTINUES FOR 94 INDICTMENTS"

Sharing the information that 54,436 earthquake-related lawsuits have been filed in administrative courts in the provinces affected by the earthquake, Tunç stated the following:

"In criminal investigations conducted regarding buildings that collapsed or underwent illegal modifications in the earthquake zone, proceedings have been initiated against 2,825 suspects; regarding these individuals, 267 arrest warrants remain in effect, and 984 are subject to judicial control. As a result of the criminal investigations conducted to date, 369 criminal cases have been opened with indictments, 275 of which have been accepted, while the evaluation process continues for 94 indictments."

A year has passed since the February 6 earthquakes, one of the greatest disasters in our country and the world, which deeply shook us all and broke our hearts.

From the very first moment of the earthquakes, our state has stood by our citizens with all its resources to heal the wounds. Our noble nation,...

— Yılmaz TUNÇ (@yilmaztunc) February 3, 2024