The contractors of the 2-block, 6-storey Mithat Kuk Apartment Building in Hatay’s Samandağ district, which collapsed in the earthquake on February 6, 2023, killing 28 people, accused each other in court.
In Hatay’s Samandağ district, a lawsuit was filed against 9 defendants, 3 of them arrested and one fugitive, who were responsible for the construction of the 2-block and 6-storey Mithat Kuk Apartment Building, which collapsed in the earthquakes on February 6, 2023, killing 28 people, with the charge of “causing the death of more than one person with conscious negligence” with a prison sentence of up to 22 years and 6 months each.
The proceedings prepared by the Samandağ Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the collapse of the 6-storey Mithat Kuk Apartment Building consisting of 2 blocks on Cumhuriyet Neighborhood English School Street in the earthquake, which killed 28 people and injured 10 people, were sent to the Hatay Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Within the scope of the investigation completed by the Hatay Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the indictment prepared against 9 defendants, 3 of whom are arrested, 5 of whom are not arrested and one of whom is a fugitive, was accepted by the Hatay 4th High Criminal Court.
In the indictment, arrested defendants Gökhan F. and his father Medhat F., the contractors of the building, project supervisor Züheyr G., and unarrested defendants İmren A., the author of the static project, İsmet Ç. and Meriç F., building supervisor contractors İsmet Ç. and Meriç F., construction site supervisor Anıl F., control personnel Yeter M. and fugitive building supervision company official Cüneyt C. were asked to be sentenced to imprisonment up to 22 years and 6 months each for “causing the death of more than one person with conscious negligence”.
In their statements in the indictment, the complainants stated that the building collapsed in the first seconds of the earthquake at 04:17.
The indictment also included the expert report prepared by a five-person committee from Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University.
In the report, it was noted that the facade and the number of floors of the building were compatible with the project, but the attic floor was turned into a residence by closing it later outside the project.
In the expert report, which stated that separate licenses were obtained for the two blocks that make up the building, but a ground and foundation survey report based on the same probe was submitted for both blocks, “When the mold plans of the building were examined, it was determined that there was no connection of the columns with the beams in some areas while creating the carrier system, as a result of the analysis made with the current carrier system status of the building, it was determined that there were insufficiencies in terms of cross-section and reinforcement area in some of the structural system elements, one elevator curtain in the building columns did not provide cutting safety, and the thickness of the stair flooring on the left side of the building was insufficient.”
Defendants accused each other
İsmet Ç, one of the contractors responsible for the building, did not accept the accusations in his statement in the indictment.
İsmet Ç claimed that he was never involved in the construction phase of the apartment building and said, “I got a contractor’s certificate about 11 years ago, I let people who were engaged in construction work but did not have a contractor’s certificate use it for a small amount. Medhat F. offered me to use my contractor’s certificate to build the building subject to the investigation. I let him use my certificate for a small amount. I was never involved in the construction phase. Medhat F. built the building.”
Medhat F., one of the contractors of the building, explained that the land of the apartment building belonged to his son Gökhan F. and said, “My son got the necessary license for the construction of the building, but he was not the contractor. He had it built by another contractor. I had nothing to do with the construction of this building.”
Gökhan F., one of the arrested contractors, stated that he made a living by doing construction work and that he bought the land where the building was located in 2015, and noted the following:
“I got permission from the relevant authorities to build on the land. I had ground survey and other procedures done. We agreed with İsmet Ç. to finish the construction. İsmet Ç.’s statements are not true. My father Medhat F. and my brother Meriç F. have no involvement in this building. Since some of the buildings we built collapsed in the earthquake in question, I left the district for my own safety and to let people’s anger pass.”
The other defendants also pleaded not guilty.
The indictment stated that although İsmet Ç. was listed as the contractor in the building license, Medhat F. and his sons Gökhan F. and Meriç F. were the actual contractors.
Source: AA
