Erdogan targets construction companies as the death toll from the earthquake exceeds 33,000

Prosecutors issued arrest warrants for dozens of developers, as the death toll from the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last week exceeded 33,000, and the security situation deteriorated in some areas of the disaster area.

Turkish investigators have identified 131 people of interest for a large-scale investigation into the disaster, and handed over 113 arrest warrants, Fuat Oktay, the vice president, told a news conference early Sunday. Several people have already been arrested, according to the state-run media.

The investigation, which is being led by nearly 150 local prosecutors’ offices, is the latest sign of how Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to address growing criticism over lax enforcement of building standards. Many seismologists and civil engineers say this led to much higher fatalities than in last Monday’s magnitude 7.8 quake, and a second, smaller tremor hours later.

The disaster comes three months before an election that analysts have already predicted will be the toughest for Erdogan in his two decades in power.

Murat Corum, Turkey’s Minister of Environment and Urban Planning, said that at least 1 million individual building units were damaged by the earthquake and aftershocks. So far, his teams have searched more than 17,000 buildings.

Turkey’s death toll reached 29,605 on Sunday, according to the country’s crisis management agency. Data from state media in regime-held parts of the country and civil defense forces in rebel-held areas showed 3,553 people killed in Syria.

Thousands of rescuers are still trying to track down the survivors. Earthmoving equipment has been deployed to remove crushed concrete and steel in many areas of the stricken area. Local TV, newspapers and online outlets showed pictures of survivors being pulled from the rubble after being trapped for 150 hours in freezing temperatures, including a seven-year-old boy in the Anatolian city of Adiyaman and an 85-year-old woman in Antakya, Hatay province.

Traffic jams formed on the roads in and out of Hatay, one of the hardest hit regions. Trucks brought in supplies and machinery, while residents left to seek shelter in low-dwelling villages or less affected cities and towns. Queues formed at petrol stations on the outskirts of the county. Makeshift soup kitchens serve roadside food.

The security situation in parts of the disaster area remained precarious on Sunday, after some rescue teams suspended operations due to fears for their safety. German rescue workers reported hearing gunfire amid looting and rising tensions in parts of Hatay.

Schools in the 10 affected Turkish provinces will remain closed until March 1, Education Minister Mahmut Ozer said, while schools in the rest of the country will reopen on February 20. Some universities are turning to online learning so that dormitories can be used to house survivors.

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The international response to the incident also accelerated. Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met Erdogan on Sunday. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias traveled to southern Turkey on Sunday with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Meanwhile, Germany said it would issue visas to the victims. The authorities wanted to enable “Turkish or Syrian families in Germany to bring their relatives from the disaster area, in a non-bureaucratic way, so that they can have a roof over their homes,” Nancy Visser, the interior minister, told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. Heads and receive medical treatment: with regular visas distributed quickly and valid for three months.

About three million people of Turkish origin live in Germany, about half of whom have Turkish citizenship. Many are descendants of Jastarpeter, or guest workers, who came from Turkey to take up jobs in German industry during the 1970s and 1980s.

Additional reporting by Guy Chazanne

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