Arrests of Unreliable Builders Continue in Turkey

Investigations continue in Turkey against unreliable builders in the wake of devastating earthquakes that struck the country. Measures have been taken against 134 suspects, three of whom have already been arrested, while several others are under house arrest.

Turkish media report that a 62-year-old engineer, A.G., from the "Pamukoglu" company, was arrested in Gaziantep after 14 people died in a building he constructed. The man has been detained. It has been revealed that substandard concrete was used in the building work.

Later, a contractor, İbrahim Mustafa Uncuoglu, was arrested in Istanbul. He is accused of negligence in the construction of a building in Gaziantep, where nine people lost their lives.

Previously, contractor and technical representative of “Ayşe Mehmet Polat,” Mehmet Ertan Akay, and Hasan Alpargun’s representative, Hasan Alpargun, were arrested in Gaziantep. Earlier, Alpargun had referred to the death of 70 people in his building as a "matter of luck." He was apprehended in Cyprus while attempting to purchase an apartment in Nicosia and had transferred 990 thousand dollars, 890 thousand euros, and 500 thousand Turkish lira abroad.

Yavuz and Sevilay Karakush were arrested at Istanbul airport while attempting to flee abroad. Their buildings collapsed in Adıyaman.

“Criminal cases have been opened against 134 suspects. Three have been arrested, seven have been detained, and seven suspects are under house arrest. The detention process continues for 114 individuals. Two contractors have been apprehended while trying to flee abroad,” stated Turkey's Minister of Justice, Bekir Bozdağ.

Omar Cihan, owner of Cihan İnşaat in Antakya, is wanted for his involvement in a building where dozens of people died. It has been revealed that 51 lawsuits were previously filed against Cihan, all of which were ignored.