Prof. Dr. Gökhan Arslan weighs in: 'If you classify it as a workplace accident, you won't serve much time'

In the investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the fire that broke out during renovations at the Masquerade nightclub, located on the -1 floor of a 16-story building on Gönenoğlu Street in the Esentepe neighborhood of Gayrettepe's Yıldız Posta Avenue, 8 people have been detained, including the responsible manager, 2 business partners, an accountant, the operations manager, and the person in charge of metal works related to the renovation.

The fact that the nightclub was located within a residential neighborhood had drawn attention. 12punto columnist Prof. Dr. Gökhan Arslan pointed to the neighborhood headman (muhtar). Arslan's article is as follows:

The news of the fire in the 16-story building in Gayrettepe breaks our hearts. We have lost our people in a fire that broke out during renovations.

The number is very high.

When I looked at this news and the pictures, I thought there must be a mistake.

There was a nightclub in the basement of a 16-story building in a neighborhood where people live.

When you type the names of the business owners into Google, the news that comes up is not very encouraging.

Similarly, when you type the name of the nightclub into Google, the news that comes up is very strange.

They opened a filthy place under a 16-story building where families and children live. They have been involved in all kinds of illicit activities.

And for years, too.

Its license was even renewed in 2018.

Who renewed it, anyway?

In exchange for what did they renew it?

Anyway, there is no one here who doesn't understand this.

We understand, but how did the families living in this apartment building and neighborhood allow this?

What kind of stance did the neighborhood headman take?

Did he feed off the system, or did he file an application to the necessary authorities saying, "close this filthy, disgusting place"?

The apartment building managers,

Did they also become a cog in the system?

Did the neighborhood tough guys not speak up against this filth in their neighborhood either?

Or did no one intervene because everyone was happy?

But just call it a construction workplace accident and move on.

It doesn't carry much jail time anyway.

News Source: 12punto