WSJ wrote about Hatay airport, which was built on the fault line: ‘Negligence and mismanagement’

The terrible destruction wrought by the 6 February earthquakes that struck Turkey continues to be the subject of detailed news in the world press.

The Wall Street Journal, one of the main US newspapers, reported on its pages how the Hatay international airport, which the AKP government presented as the “model of the New Turkey”, suffered great destruction as a result of the earthquake.

In the news story that drew attention to the fact that the airport was built right on top of a major fault line and creek bed, it was claimed that it was “grossly negligent” for no one to assess the effects of a potential earthquake.

The disaster center in Hatay was also severely damaged in the quake. (WSJ)

WARNED FROM THE BEGINNING

Recalling that experts on the airport, which was inaugurated with a ceremony by President Tayyip Erdoğan in 2007, had warned from the start and said the location was wrong, WSJ said even government disaster management warned, but no one. he cared about the approaching danger.

Hatay Airport Runway

The newspaper explained with visuals that the first earthquake on February 6 caused the collapse of the airport. It was claimed that as a result of the landslide from the runway, rescue planes were unable to land for days, and an attempt was made to deliver aid over the blocked road.

Rescue efforts in Antakya caused great chaos as help was delayed for days. (WSJ)

Writing in the city, where the Hatay State Hospital, which opened in 2016 the disaster intensified with the second earthquake, was also destroyed, WSJ noted that Erdogan came to power in 2002 with a promise to transform the abandoned cities.

Noting that the construction boom in Hatay led to a high death toll as a result of allegations of negligence and corruption, the newspaper wrote that many major buildings built during Erdogan’s administration were built in violation of court orders and without even an earthquake assessment.

The Wall Street Journal showed on a map that the Hatay airport and hospital were built on or very close to fault lines.

It was noted in the news that Turkey’s strict earthquake regulations were further strengthened during the AKP period, but it was emphasized that the rules were often ignored.

The report also recalled that Erdogan’s 1,150-room palace in Ankara was built on Atatürk Orman Çiftliği’s land, despite court orders. Tezcan Candan, president of the Turkish Chamber of Architects and Engineers, said: “If the people at the top don’t conform to architectural boundaries, the others don’t care either.”