Families Demanding Justice in Earthquake Cases Continue to Protest in Front of the Ministry

Members of the Families in Pursuit of Justice Platform continue to protest in front of the Ministry of Justice on the 4th day, against the decision given to the defendants in the Ezgi Apartment case, which killed 35 people in the February 6 earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, and the problems experienced in other earthquake cases. Kahramanmaraş 5th High Criminal Court rejected the objection made by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and their families to the release of the defendants Sami Kervancıoğlu and Mustafa Pekel, given an 8-year prison sentence in the Ezgi Apartment building case, which collapsed in the February 6 earthquakes.

A POLICE BARRICATE WAS PLACED IN THE AREA

Today, a police barricade was placed in the sit-in area where Platform Spokesperson Döne Kaya started 4 days ago. Families who lost their relatives in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay and Adıyaman also supported the action. Those who lost their relatives in the earthquake carried banners saying "We want justice, not a disaster, but a massacre", "Protect the murderers" and "Can anyone hear our voices".

'MINISTRY GÜRLEK SHOULD REASON'

Platform Spokesperson Kaya made a statement to our newspaper Cumhuriyet. Kaya stated that the Ezgi Apartment decision is an exemplary decision and that this is how the process works in most of the February 6 earthquake cases; "Even though we insistently say that they will escape, these people are on probation. Our demands are as follows: First of all, we want Minister Gürlek to justify the decision of Ezgi Apartmanı as a former prosecutor and currently a minister. How can you give an 8-year sentence to a file whose indictment has been written and considered for 876 years, and release a defendant who has escaped before on probation? We want all defendants who are on probation in the February 6 earthquake cases to continue their trials in detention. Just like Istanbul "If the Metropolitan Mayor and other subsequent mayors, Deniz Göktaş, are in custody, the defendants who murdered people and killed 53 thousand people should not be on probation either," he said.

'AFAD IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRIAL'

Kaya stated that they wanted a single document to be issued from the Ministry of Internal Affairs so that all public officials mentioned in the investigation of the February 6 earthquake cases could be included in the trial without waiting for permission; "We are waiting for this document to be sent to all courthouses. How long will we wait? We want the mayors, their deputies, the provincial directorates of environmental urbanization and the ministry, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to be included in the trial. We will not go until these demands are met. This earthquake was a known earthquake. In the report prepared by the state institution itself, these are written page by page and they prepare scenarios of its severity, so everyone has to be held accountable. In addition, the current trials are the people who were in the previous phase of the collapsed building. There is an earthquake in Hatay. AFAD, which caused the lack of coordination, is not involved in any proceedings. Do you know what they say in the lawsuits? "We did an excellent job, we were everywhere." Why did Doctor Cüneyt live for 3 days and die on the 4th day? No, AFAD, they died because you couldn't get that doctor out. he said.

'HOW TO FORGIVE A PROBLEM BUILDING'

"The Ministry of Health, the administrators, everyone knew that Hatay Training Hospital and Iskenderun Hospital were rotten. They allowed it to continue operating. They knowingly killed people in the hospital. That's why they have to be held accountable," said Kaya; "She was not held accountable for what happened during the earthquake. As you know, a girl around my age was taken out and her family put her in the ambulance. They trusted her and said it was a state hospital. But what happened? It was not known where that ambulance went for 1.5 years. Then she was found with DNA matching, she died and they buried her. No information was given to the family, 1.5 years later. She was pulled out of the wreckage alive, she was put in the state ambulance, but where did the ambulance go? How many of the 8 construction amnesties issued during the February 6 earthquake were found? "How many people died? Let me tell you one. Malatya Garden Residence took advantage of the construction amnesty that the President marketed and killed people in the February 6 earthquake. How can a problematic building be forgiven?"

'YOU BROUGHT THE OWNER OF MADO TO THE NATO SUMMIT'

Kaya emphasized that all public officials and ministries should take responsibility; "If this justice, which we have not been able to achieve, continues for another 4 or 10 years, we will come to your palace and continue our struggle there. Because you promised that the person who did this to my people will be held accountable. He did not. 8 years are not accountable; acquittals, releases, probations are not accountability. Whatever you do, give account for February 6. During the NATO period, you took in everyone you thought and suspected would cause chaos. During the February 6 earthquake, NATO detained the owner of MADO, which was renovating under the Manolya Site." "You brought it to the front of the Summit and fed ice cream to your guests. Is this your justice? If so, say this and we will continue with the other necessary processes. Say we cannot solve it, let's go to the Constitutional Court."

'MY CHILD WAS MURDERED'

Salman Torun, who lost his 34-year-old lawyer son Mustafa Torun in the Akerman Apartment, which collapsed in the February 6 earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş and became the grave of 18 people, also made a statement to our newspaper Cumhuriyet. Grandchild; "Akerman Apartment was an apartment building that was 4-5 years old. 18 people were murdered in this apartment. There is no one following the case except me. Because no one trusts us. Why are we now seeking justice in front of the Ministry of Justice? Justice needs to be sought in the halls of those palaces of justice. Akerman Apartment received its license in 2010. The license includes a ground floor, a shop on the upper floor, and a building above it. Then, in 2016, with a zoning amnesty. Three more floors are being built. And there is no static here, there is no this, there is no this. And this building collapses in the first seconds of the earthquake. My life, my life, my son, Lawyer Mustafa Torun, was killed. The building inspector in that building runs away while the construction continues.

'WE WANT JUSTICE, THAT'S ALL'

"MTA has detected 225 new live fault lines. There are others as well. We say; the important thing is to take precautions before an earthquake occurs," said Torun; "After the earthquake, politicians came and went around in their flashing cars, under the control of poor police officers... The state, which did not protect my child, travels with hundreds of security guards. Why are they traveling around? I mean, my child's life was not less valuable than them. Why couldn't they protect my child's life? The building collapsed on top of each other instantly, like a lozenge. Buildings in other places in that region were also heavily damaged, but there were no deaths. I know because I was an expert witness in our case. There is nothing like an expert witness. Niye? Yapı denetimci kaçıyor. Niye kaçıyor? Demek ki projesine göre işler gitmiyor. Herkese müteahhitlik dağıtıyorlar. Bu ne biçim iş? Bu ülkede herkese müteahhitlik verilir mi? Bizim canlarımız gitti canlarımız. Biz terör estirmiyoruz. Estirmeyeceğiz. Biz bu ülkenin insanıyız. Evladım belki birkaç sene sonra burada daire başkanı olacağına, bakan olacağına ben gidip Pazarcık’ta kendi köyünde Salmanepek’te evladımın taşlarını seviyorum. Şurada aileler geçince canım yanıyor. Ama hiçbir şey "No, Mr. Minister, we want justice, that's all. I don't want anything else."

'THEY ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO MAKE US TIRED AND INTERESTED US'

Mother Safiye Yaşar, who lost her daughter Mihriban Bagislar and her doctor son-in-law Selman Bagislar in the "Sisli Vadi" bungalow facilities illegally built on the stream bed, in the flood disaster that occurred on September 5, 2023 in the İğneada town of Kırklareli's Demirköy district, attended the vigil of the earthquake victims in front of the ministry. Yaşar; "I am here to seek justice. From now on, I will stay on duty until the Ministry of Justice gives us an appointment and we want our files to be examined as a result of the appointments. We will continue until the end. There is only one thing that I am happy about: people are now seeking justice for their lost children and relatives, and there are platforms for them. I brought the greetings and support of all the Sisli Vadi families who could not come with me. Our file came to the Supreme Court in the Sisli Vadi murder. The Supreme Court also found it irregular and There are many problems on the merits, but the court again decided against the procedure and came to the Supreme Court again. They are doing their best to harass and intimidate us. I remind our Minister of his words: 'Everyone who needs justice should come.' "These are precedents and cases that have become a burden to Turkey and they hurt the conscience. Delayed justice is not justice; we are waiting for justice," İliç said.