The contractor responsible for the construction of the Rönesans Residence, a large residential complex in Hatay’s provincial capital Antakya that collapsed during the earthquake last week, was taken into custody last Friday (February 10) at the Istanbul airport while attempting to flee from Turkey.
Renaissance Residence, completed in 2013, collapsed in last week’s earthquake. Anadolu Agency announced Yaşar Coşkun’s detention last Friday. Suspicion had been aroused following the discovery of a sum of money on Coşkun’s person, after which authorities were alerted. Coşkun had reportedly planned to travel to the Azeri province of Karabakh.
Coşkun was then taken to the Istanbul Security Directorate, where a judge ordered his arrest.
The 12-floor, 250-flat residence located on İnönü Boulevard in Antakya had been advertised as “a slice of heaven”. About 1,000 people are thought to have lived in the residence prior to its collapse.
Speaking in Diyarbakir, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ stated that an investigation had been launched against those who neglected buildings leading up to the earthquake saying, “Measures are being taken to put out arrest warrants and prevent suspects from leaving the country.”
