AKP deputy mayor arrested after his hotel collapses in quake

Duvar English

A Turkish court has arrested the eastern province of Malatya’s Battalgazi deputy district mayor, Zafer Kırçuval, after his Kırçuval Hotel collapsed on Feb. 6 during the 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

While the contractors of many buildings destroyed in the earthquake were arrested, the fact that no legal action was taken against Zafer Kırçuval, the owner of the collapsed hotel, stirred reactions.

A Malatya court on Feb. 24 decided to arrest Zafer Kırçuval and his brother Saffet Kırçuval, ANKA News Agency reported.

11 volleyball players from Malatya’s municipal team and 4 amputee football players died under the rubble of the Kırçuval Hotel where they were staying.

On the other hand, another court on Feb. 25 arrested Gaziantep's Nurdağı district mayor Ökkeş Kavak, from the ruling AKP. Kavak allegedly did not carry out the inspections that the municipality should do during the construction phase of some of the buildings that collapsed in earthquake, and whose contractor is Yunus Kaya.

Accordingly, Yunus Kaya and Ökkeş Kavak's brother constructed some buildings together as contractors. Kaya was arrested on Feb. 23.

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