Reports of looting of damaged stores in Turkey are starting to circulate after Monday’s massive earthquake devastated large areas of the country’s southeast.
Video footage shows angry shopkeepers chasing out a man suspected of stealing, in the southern city of Antakya. And the looters are not only after essentials, they are also taking pricey consumer items.
“There’s a phone shop near mine where all the phones have been stolen”, says local shopkeeper Nizamettin Bilmez.
“Supermarkets are ok. If people come to take nappies, food and drinks, it’s normal because no help has arrived for one to two days. People can come without problems. But some people are strange, they come to take a cooker or a coffee machine.”
According to state-run media, Turkish security teams arrested at least 98 looting suspects on Saturday, seizing over €10,000 as well as many consumer items.
Anger at poorly enforced building regulations
Turkish authorities have also issued 131 arrest warrants in connection with the construction of buildings that collapsed due to Monday’s earthquakes.
Even though Turkey has, on paper, construction codes that meet current earthquake-engineering standards, they are too rarely enforced, explaining why thousands of buildings slumped onto their side or pancaked downward onto residents.
The detentions could help direct public anger toward builders and contractors, deflecting attention away from local and state officials who allowed sub-standard constructions to go ahead.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, already burdened by an economic downturn and high inflation, faces parliamentary and presidential elections in May.
Addressing reports of looting in the region, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that culprits would be dealt with “firmly”, saying a state of emergency declared in ten affected provinces would allow authorities to act to prevent further incidents.
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