Bee Apartment case: Indictment completed for building where 31 people died, 4 defendants to face court

The Adıyaman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has prepared an indictment against contractor Şükrü İşitmen, former Besni Municipality Mayor Memet Nuri Tuğsuz, Director of Public Works Memet Yıldırım, and civil engineer Ekrem Lenger on charges of causing death and injury through conscious negligence in connection with the collapse of the Bee Apartment building in the Kaymakam Hasan Tütün neighborhood of Besni district during the February 6, 2023 earthquakes, which resulted in the deaths of 31 people. Adıyaman 3rd Heavy Penal Court has accepted the indictment.

The indictment determined that the building lacked architectural and static design projects as well as a soil investigation report, that there were discrepancies between the building permit and the building use permit certificate, that concrete strength was insufficient, and that reinforcement and stirrup arrangements did not comply with standards. It was noted that the building collapsed in the earthquake with floors pancaking on top of each other due to these deficiencies.

The court issued an arrest warrant for defendant Şükrü İşitmen as his defense statement could not be obtained. An order was also issued to send five complainants' medical records to the Adıyaman Forensic Medicine Institution. The first hearing was set for December 3 at 09:25.

Plaintiff's attorney Abdurrahman Özdoğan characterized the indictment, completed after three years and eight months, as a delayed but long-awaited step for the affected families. During the investigation process, the Adıyaman Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had previously returned the file to the Besni Chief Public Prosecutor's Office; after missing statements and reports were completed, the indictment was prepared anew in Adıyaman.