Residents of a luxury apartment complex in southern Turkey thought their apartments were “earthquake proof” until the building collapsed like a domino in last week’s devastating earthquake, killing hundreds of residents.
The Renaissance Residences, which advertisements described as a “piece of paradise” when it opened 10 years ago, became the focus of public anger.
Survivors stood beside piles of rubble that was once a 249-apartment building, waiting for news of their loved ones, with fading hopes of their own survival.
“My brother has lived here for 10 years,” said Hamza al-Baslan, 47, a jeweler. “It was said to be safe from an earthquake, but you can see the result.”
“It has been presented as the most beautiful residence in the world. It is in a terrible state. There is neither proper cement nor iron. It is a real hell,” he added.
Eleven days after the earthquake killed more than 43,000 people in Turkey and Syria and left millions more homeless, anger is growing over what Turks see as corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban development.
Turkey’s Ministry of Urban Development estimates that 84,700 buildings have collapsed or been severely damaged.
While the buildings of the Renaissance Residence complex collapsed, many old buildings remained standing near the complex.
“We rented this place as a place for the elite, a safe place,” said a woman who lost her two daughters under the rubble.
Missing Ghanaian international footballer Christian Atsu who played for local club Hatayspor is also believed to have lived in the complex.
Dozens of people interviewed by Reuters in the city of Hatay, where the complex is located, accused contractors of using cheap or unsuitable materials and authorities of being complacent with sub-standard construction.
“Who is responsible? Everyone, everyone, everyone,” Al-Baslan said.
And the Turkish Anatolia News Agency said that Mehmet Yasar Coskun, the developer of the complex, was arrested at Istanbul Airport while he was preparing to board a plane to Montenegro last Friday evening.
According to judicial documents seen by Anadolu Agency, Coskun’s lawyer, Kubra Kalkan Colak Oglu, told the public prosecutor, “The public is looking for a criminal, for a guilty party. My client was chosen to be this perpetrator.” The lawyer added that his client denies any wrongdoing.
Anadolu quoted Coskun as telling the public prosecutor that the building is solid and has obtained all necessary permits.
The construction boom in the era of Erdogan
Turkey has pledged to investigate the collapse of buildings, and 246 suspects have been investigated so far, including real estate developers, and 27 of them are being held by the police.
“The rubble will not be removed without evidence being collected. Everyone who was responsible for the construction, finishing and use of the buildings will be evaluated,” Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has focused heavily on construction, helping to drive growth during his two decades in power, although the sector has struggled in the past five years as the economy faltered.
Opposition parties accused his government of not enforcing building regulations, and of mis-spending special taxes collected after the previous major earthquake in 1999 in order to make buildings more earthquake-resistant.
In the ten years to 2022, Turkey has fallen 47 places in Transparency International’s corruption index, to 101st, after it was ranked 54th out of 174 countries in 2012.
Erdogan claims the opposition is spreading lies to discredit the government and hinder investment.
Three kilometers from the Renaissance Residence lies a damaged government building linked to Turkey’s Ministry of Urban Development, and local residents and activists said important documents related to building safety and quality control lay among the rubble.
Omer Mays, a lawyer from Istanbul, said he had been observing the rubble and trying to salvage what could be vital evidence, although some documents had been destroyed as homeless people searched for anything to burn for warmth.
“There were many official documents with original signatures. It was necessary to preserve and protect them… so that those responsible for this disaster could be brought to justice,” said Mays.
He added that the papers included concrete data and earthquake resistance tests. “I read reports of contractors being arrested after the earthquake, but when we think about this destruction and its extent, there must be more,” he added.
The Ministry of Urban Development said the documents will be transferred to the ministry’s archives in the city and will be stored digitally.
Sector officials said about 50 percent of the 20 million buildings in Turkey violate building codes.
In 2018, the government implemented an amnesty to legalize unregistered construction, which engineers and architects have warned could put lives at risk.
About 10 million people applied to benefit from the amnesty, and 1.8 million applications were accepted.
The real estate owners paid money to register the buildings, which were then subject to various taxes and dues.
The government said it was necessary to remove differences between the state and citizens and legalize buildings.
“Unfortunately, in our country this amnesty was considered, in one way or another, a public blessing,” said Omar Mays, a lawyer.
