Detained defendants Sami Kervancıoğlu, Mustafa Pekel, undetained defendants Mehmet Tekin (62), an architect in Kahramanmaraş Municipality at the time the building was built, Mehmet Dışçeken (58), the architect of Kahramanmaraş Municipality at the time the building was built, lawyers of the parties and relatives of those who died in the building attended the decision hearing of the case in which the public prosecutor gave his opinion on the merits and demanded that all defendants be punished, regarding the death of 35 people in the Ezgi Apartment, which collapsed in the February 6 earthquakes.
'GIVE PUNISHMENT BEFORE ABUSE OF DUTY'
The hearing at Kahramanmaraş 4th High Criminal Court started with the additional defense of Mehmet Dışçeken, who was asked to be imprisoned for up to 15 years for the crime of 'Negligence', against the possibility of his criminal character changing to the crime of 'Conscious negligence'. In his defense, Dışçeken said, "He was sentenced for neglect of duty and abuse of office in the Kahramanmaraş 2nd High Criminal Court. If possible, give the sentence for the same crime."
'I DIDN'T MAKE A MISTAKE IN 35 BUILDINGS, SHOULD I MAKE IT IN THIS BUILDING?'
Mehmet Tekin stated that he had fulfilled his duty as a scientific officer and requested his acquittal. Tekin defended himself as follows:
"I have 35 buildings in Kahramanmaraş. I haven't made any mistakes there, am I going to make any mistakes in this building? People are talking here as if the technically responsible person has never been to a construction site. Give me concrete data so that I can know my guilt. No mistakes have been found. There is no evidence. I have been an engineer for years, I have made no mistakes. I think there is a conspiracy against me."
'I AM NOT GUILTY'
Sami Kervancıoğlu also stated that he did not accept the accusations and said, "I do not accept the opinion. I have been detained for 14 months, I am innocent. I demand my release and acquittal."
'4 OUT OF 5 REPORTS SAY WE ARE NOT GUILTY'
Mustafa Pekel defended himself by saying, "I do not accept the opinion, I am innocent. 4 out of 5 reports say that we are not guilty of the demolition of the building. I demand my acquittal and release."
Those who lost their relatives in the building demanded that the defendants be punished in the most severe way.
PUNISHMENT FOR 8 DEFENDANTS, ACQUITTAL FOR 3 DEFENDANTS
At the end of the 15-hour hearing, the court sentenced the defendants Sami Kervancıoğlu and Mustafa Pekel, who were asked to be imprisoned for 876 years and 6 months each for the crimes of 'Killing with possible intent' and 'Injuring with possible intent', to 8 years in prison each for the crime of 'Causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence', and decided to release them with a ban on leaving the country and a judicial control decision to sign at the police station 2 days a week.
The court also sentenced Mehmet Tekin, who was technically responsible for the same crime, to 6 years and 8 months in prison and a 2-year ban from his profession, and former Kahramanmaraş Municipality officials of the time, former Director of Public Works Fahri Yiğitoğlu (48), architect Veli Çiftaslan (72), Onikişubat Municipality Deputy Director of Zoning and Urbanization Sait Avşar (39), civil engineer Ali Gemci (48), and construction technician Mehmet Akif Yaşam (32). He was sentenced to 4 years, 5 months and 10 days in prison for 'causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence'.
Committee; Ertan Danacı, the interior designer of the patisserie, acquitted the then Kahramanmaraş Municipality officials, architect Mehmet Dışçeken and mechanical engineer Mustafa Şirikçi (40), on the grounds that "it was not proven that the crime was committed by the defendant".
