The contractor of the buildings, in which 51 people lost their lives, has been evacuated.

The Akar and Güven apartment buildings in the Mehmet Akif Ersoy neighborhood of Nurdağı district in Gaziantep were destroyed in the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023. A total of 51 people lost their lives under the rubble, and the contractor Mesut Akar, who was found to be negligent in the collapse of the buildings, was arrested. For the two buildings, two separate cases were opened against Mesut Akar, and a total of 45 years in prison was requested for the charge of 'causing the death and injury of multiple people through negligence.'

RELEASE DECISION IN BOTH CASES

Mesut Akar, who was released on October 16, 2024, in the Akar Apartment case heard at the İslahiye Heavy Penal Court, participated in the hearing of the Güven Apartment case held on December 18, 2024, via the SEGBİS method. Mesut Akar, who was detained due to this case, requested his release. In the report from Karadeniz Technical University, it was stated that the contractor was fully at fault; however, the court panel decided to release Mesut Akar on the grounds that there was no possibility to address the uncollected evidence.

"THE DEFENDANT WAS RELEASED BEFORE THE VICTIM'S TREATMENT WAS COMPLETED"

The families of those who lost their lives in the Akar and Güven apartment buildings reacted to the release of Mesut Akar, the contractor of both apartments, by coming to the rubble site. Abdullah Yalçın, the lawyer of the relatives of the victims who lost their lives in the earthquake, stated that the release was unlawful, saying, "I regret to inform you that a release decision has been made for the contractor of the Akar and Güven apartments. The treatments of those who were trapped under the rubble in both apartments and were rescued are still ongoing. The defendant was released before the victim's treatment was completed. The building walls are not solid. There is no ground survey report for this building, no architectural project report. The release of the defendant has undermined trust in law, ethics, and justice. This situation needs to be reversed," he said. The families also stated that the defendant should remain in custody, expressing that they seek justice.