Turkey earthquakes: Collapsed buildings investigation widens

More than 600 radical are present being investigated successful Turkey implicit buildings that collapsed successful the deadly earthquake connected 6 February, the authorities has said.

On Saturday, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said 184 suspects - including operation contractors and spot owners - had already been arrested.

For years, experts warned that endemic corruption and authorities policies meant galore caller buildings were unsafe.

The confirmed decease toll successful Turkey and Syria has present exceeded 50,000.

Mr Bozdağ made the televised remarks from south-eastern Turkey, wherever the 7.8 magnitude quake struck and was followed by different almighty tremor conscionable hours later.

His comments showed however the probe had widened - 2 weeks ago, the authorities said that 113 apprehension warrants had been issued.

Among those that person been arrested is simply a politician of 1 of the towns adjacent to wherever the tremors hit, Turkish media reported.

More than 160,00 buildings collapsed oregon were severely damaged successful Turkey aft the quakes, raising questions astir whether the earthy disaster's interaction was made worse by quality failings.

Opposition parties and immoderate operation experts impeach President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's medication of failing to enforce gathering regulations and trying to divert wide blasted for the disaster.

They accidental that authorities policies person allowed alleged amnesties for contractors who swerved gathering regulations, successful bid to promote a operation boom, including successful earthquake-prone regions.

Mr Erdogan has admitted shortcomings, but has appeared to blasted destiny for the standard of the disaster.

"Such things person ever happened. It's portion of destiny's plan," helium said during a caller sojourn to the region.

With elections connected the horizon, Mr Erdogan's aboriginal is connected the line aft 20 years successful powerfulness - and his pleas for nationalist unity person gone unheeded.