Reaction to acquittal in Furkan Apartment case in Gaziantep: Families hold justice vigil

The acquittal of 3 defendants in the case of the Furkan Apartment, which collapsed in the Nizip district of Gaziantep during the February 6 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş and was recorded as the only building in the district to cause loss of life, has sparked outrage among families. Relatives of those who lost their lives in the Furkan Apartment have started a vigil demanding justice.

COLUMNS WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN CUT

Investigations conducted after the collapse of the Furkan Apartment revealed that columns had been cut in the building. In the final hearing held at the Nizip High Criminal Court on July 19, defendants Faik Öğüt, Eyüp Öğüt, and Nejdet Alpay were acquitted. Technical supervisor Yılmaz Şahin Yurtyapan was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison. The files of fugitive defendants Abdullah Devrim Sever and Hasan Hüseyin Sever were separated. The court's reasoned decision has not yet been announced.

FAMILIES HOLD JUSTICE VIGIL

Families who lost their loved ones in the Furkan Apartment have begun a justice vigil in front of the building's wreckage to protest the acquittal of the 3 defendants. Carrying banners reading "We do not accept the acquittal decision, we want justice", "Columns were cut in this building, we want justice", "Killers are free, where is justice?", the citizens demanded justice.

'FUGITIVES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF 51 LIVES MUST BE CAPTURED'

Seçkin Şahin, who lost his 19-year-old son Emre Şahin in the Furkan Apartment, said, "We absolutely do not accept the acquittal of 3 defendants in a place where it has been clearly determined that columns were cut. We demand the capture of the fugitive contractors, the Sever brothers, who are responsible for the deaths of 51 lives. We want justice."

It was reported that the families' justice vigil will continue until the reasoned decision is announced.