Developer of Collapsed High-Rise in Kahramanmaraş Posed as Earthquake Victim and Attempted to Leave the Country

Turkish law enforcement has arrested the contractor of one of the high-rises that collapsed during the recent disaster in the Hatay region. The man attempted to flee the country, but he now faces punishment behind bars. Reports indicate that the man was hiding from justice in a hotel, pretending to be a victim of the earthquake.

This was reported by Cumhuryiet. According to media outlets, the police detained Omer Cihani in one of the hotels in Antalya, where he was hiding with his family from the authorities. Investigators have stated that Cihani owns Cihan İnşaat, the company responsible for the construction of one of the destroyed residential complexes in Kahramanmaraş.

The man was preparing to leave Turkey with his family. After his arrest, Cihani was taken into custody, and the following day the court ordered his detention. On February 12, Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay announced that detention orders had been issued for 131 individuals. The country's Minister of Justice has promised to punish all those responsible.

It was also reported that due to the earthquakes in Turkey, authorities have decided to demolish the city of Nurdağı, as it is impossible to restore.