11.11.2026 15:42
In the Said Bey Site case in Kahramanmaraş, where 46 people lost their lives in the February 6 earthquakes, contractor Hasan Çam, who was sentenced to 11 years, 1 month, and 10 days in prison, was released despite the prosecutor's opinion that his detention should continue, on the grounds that the maximum detention period had expired, with a ban on leaving the country and an obligation to sign. Nevres Akkaya, who lost her husband and son in the earthquake, reacted to the decision, saying, "Is human life this cheap?"
The Kahramanmaraş 5th Heavy Penal Court has decided to release contractor Hasan Çam, who was sentenced to 11 years, 1 month, and 10 days in prison with a good conduct reduction in the Said Bey Sitesi case, in which 46 people died in the February 6 earthquakes, taking into account the time he spent in detention, the amount of the sentence imposed, the fact that the maximum detention period had expired, and that he has a fixed residence. Nevres Akkaya, who lost their spouse and son in the earthquake, said, "Is a human life this cheap? We expect justice from our state."
In Yahya Kemal Neighborhood of Dulkadiroğlu district of Kahramanmaraş, 46 people lost their lives when Said Bey Sitesi, built as part of urban transformation, collapsed in the February 6 earthquakes.
HE HAD BEEN SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS AND 4 MONTHS IN PRISON
At the final hearing held on October 26 at the Kahramanmaraş 4th Heavy Penal Court, building owner and contractor Hasan Çam was sentenced to 13 years and 4 months in prison for the crime of "causing the death and injury of more than one person by conscious negligence." With a good conduct reduction applied, his sentence was reduced to 11 years, 1 month, and 10 days.
The non-detained defendants—project and implementation supervision officer Yavuz Kaygısız, construction supervision company official Halil Yıldız, construction supervision company inspection officer Melike Yiğit, and site chiefs Halil İbrahim US and Murat Kaş—were each sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in prison for the same crime. With a good conduct reduction applied, their sentences were reduced to 8 years, 10 months, and 20 days each. The court banned the five defendants from their profession for two years and ruled that the judicial control decisions concerning them would continue.
Public officials Arzu Özaydın and Serap Binici were each sentenced to 6 years in prison for the crime of "causing death and injury by negligence." With a good conduct reduction applied, their sentences were reduced to 5 years, 5 months, and 10 days each. The panel separated the file of the officials of ZBK Construction Supervision Company from the main file because the defendants' defenses had not been taken.
In the reasoned judgment, it was recorded that the defendants "failed to fulfill their duties despite knowing that the area where the building was located was in an earthquake zone," while "their clean criminal records" were considered grounds for discretionary reduction.
According to information obtained by ANKA, the lawyer of defendant Hasan Çam appealed on November 6 against the decision to continue his detention under the conviction.
PROSECUTOR REQUESTED CONTINUATION OF DETENTION
The Kahramanmaraş 5th Heavy Penal Court convened to consider the objection by defendant Çam's lawyer.
In the public prosecutor's opinion, he expressed the view that "taking into account the existence of facts indicating strong suspicion of the crime, the amount of the sentence subject to the conviction decision against the defendant, and that the decision to continue the detention under conviction given for the attributed act is appropriate and proportionate, it should be decided that the defendant's detention under conviction continue."
COURT: MAXIMUM DETENTION PERIOD HAS EXPIRED
The court panel decided to release contractor Hasan Çam, taking into account the time he spent in detention, the amount of the sentence imposed, the fact that the maximum detention period had expired, and that he has a fixed residence. The decision included the following statements:
"In the assessment made regarding the detention status of defendant Hasan Çam, taking into account the amount of the final sentence imposed by the court on the defendant for a negligent offense, the time the defendant spent in detention, the fact that the maximum detention period stipulated in Article 102/2 of the Criminal Procedure Code No. 5271 has expired in the concrete case, the defendant's having a fixed residence, and the possible time to be spent in legal remedies, and considering that the legal benefit expected from the detention measure can also be achieved at this stage through judicial control measures, it has been decided to release the defendant, subject to judicial control, by imposing a ban on leaving the country pursuant to Article 109/3-a of the Criminal Procedure Code No. 5271 and requiring the defendant to report to the law enforcement unit to which his residence is attached once a week on Fridays between 07.00 and 24.00 and sign, pursuant to Article 109/3-b of the Criminal Procedure Code No. 5271."
MAY SUCH JUSTICE NOT EXIST
Nevres Akkaya, who lost their spouse and son in the earthquake, evaluated the process for ANKA News Agency. Akkaya noted the following:
"In the struggle we have been waging for about 4 years, a decision had been made at the final hearing to continue the detention of Hasan Çam, the only detained defendant, who was stated in all expert reports to be 100 percent at fault. However, the Kahramanmaraş 5th Heavy Penal Court released this defendant despite the prosecutor's opinion.
This person, whom we hold responsible for the deaths of 46 lives, including my spouse and son, will now walk among us. Neither our conscience, nor our humanity, nor our reason accepts this. We want this wrong to be reversed and for him to be detained again. Is a human life this cheap? We expect justice from our state. We are already barely standing. This release decision has truly devastated us and completely shaken our trust in justice. May such justice not exist."