Turkey courts hand sentences in earthquake building collapse cases

Two separate criminal trials stemming from the February 6, 2023 earthquakes in Turkey have reached key rulings.

In Hatay, the third hearing of the case over the auxiliary building of the Hatay Education and Research Hospital was postponed to 17 November. Former regional health director M. H. faces a potential sentence of up to 22 years 6 months for “conscious negligence causing multiple deaths and injuries.” He argued that responsibility lay with the Ministry of Health, which he says failed to complete preparatory work for the demolition. The court ordered the inclusion of expert reports in the criminal file and continued the defendant’s judicial control measures.

In Kahramanmaraş, the 5th Heavy Penal Court sentenced contractor Tevfik Tepebaşı to 17 years 4 months in prison for the collapse of the Ebrar Sitesi G‑Block, which killed 123 people and injured 11. Two municipal officials, Hacı Mehmet Güner and Fahri Yiğitoğlu, received 6 years 8 months each for “negligent homicide.” The verdict follows a lengthy investigation that charged 16 defendants, including public officials, over the disaster that devastated the residential complex.