ISTANBUL- HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan emphasized that the government is responsible for the deaths after the earthquakes and listed the steps to be taken after the election.

 

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has announced its attitude document, which includes determinations and solutions regarding the events following the 6 February Mereş-centered earthquakes. Speaking at the press conference held at Taksim Hill Hotel, HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan said that according to official data, 50 thousand citizens lost their lives in earthquakes, but the actual data is much more than what was announced. Stating that the government did not take any precautions for earthquakes, Buldan reminded the heavy consequences of the previous 1939 Erzincan, 1966 Varto, 1971 Bingöl, 1975 Lice, 1999 Marmara, 2011 Van, 2020 Elazig earthquakes.

 

Buldan, who listed the main reason for the sad picture as "political and administrative inadequacy, lack of foresight and staying away from science", said: "As a result of illegal and unsound buildings getting licenses due to zoning amnesties in the last 10 years, and urban crimes committed under a legal cover, an irregular urbanization has dominated the whole country. Inspections not carried out for the sake of votes and profits also point to the political culprits of the disaster, violation of the right to life and urban crimes. It has been clearly seen that the AKP-MHP government did not take necessary and sufficient earthquake precautions with the last earthquake, that public institutions were unprepared, and that there was a major organization and coordination problem.

 

THE STEPS TO BE TAKEN

 

Stating that the current political power is insufficient to find permanent solutions to the problems experienced, Buldan listed the steps that the new administration to be formed after the election should take within the scope of earthquake preparedness and city rights:

 

"*Penal liabilities in the legislation should be increased and strictly enforced for everyone who is primarily responsible for the destruction and death caused by a building defect at the construction, license and approval stages.

 

* For the development of disaster awareness and culture, geography and geology courses should be included in the curriculum starting from primary education; Training should be given before, during and after the disaster, and training on what to do during and after the disaster should be started at the primary school level.

 

* It is necessary to build strong democratic local governments that will not wait for the decision-making processes of the center during disasters and act together with the people. Local governments, which will act in coordination with the horizontal organization style and central institutions, should prepare the organization of disaster volunteers in each neighborhood in line with the needs of the area.

 

* Existing Law No. 4708 on Building Inspection should be repealed and a new regulation should be made.

 

* Planned and healthy urbanization should be achieved without conflict with nature. All city crimes, especially zoning amnesties, should be placed under the constitutional provision and construction in accordance with the zoning and building legislation should be carried out by taking into account the public interest and public participation, and scientific zoning plans should have the nature of the constitution of cities.

 

* In order to be protected from disasters in cities and to be least affected by their damage, the concept of "Disaster Risk Management" should be adopted, regions with disaster risk, especially earthquakes, should be identified and measures to reduce these risks should be taken immediately. Comprehensive disaster management plans should be prepared in all our cities, especially in Istanbul, and implementation opportunities should be created without delay.

 

* Earthquake resistant and resistant cities project should be announced and implemented in the next 5 years planning.

 

* Risky areas such as agricultural areas, river stream beds, coasts, fault zones, landslides and avalanches should not be opened for development, and the existing ones should be emptied in accordance with a planning.

 

* The right to housing is a constitutional right and a duty of the democratic social state. Urban planning should be carried out according to participatory, socio-cultural, environmental and geological criteria that take into account the scientific and ecological balance of local governments under the principles of central upper plan.

 

* Urban and spatial planning should be rearranged within the framework of the concept of the right to the city, in the light of zoning laws, building and building regulations, building inspection system expert institutions, universities, TMMOB and similar NGOs and scientific facts.

 

* Disaster and Urban Transformation Bank should be established.

 

* AFAD should definitely have an autonomous identity, and appointments should be made on the basis of merit. The organizational structure of AFAD should be reorganized at local and regional level, AFAD advisory boards should be established in the provinces, and relevant NGOs and local administrations should take part in these boards.

 

* The Red Crescent, which lost its understanding of helping the people in times of disaster and turned into the beneficiary of the government, should be cleared of this distorted understanding and restructured immediately."

 

Buldan continued as follows: "The justified anger that has emerged has clarified the people's desire for democratic change towards the government. We do not want to lose a single life in earthquakes anymore, and we emphasize once again that those with political and administrative responsibilities must also be held accountable before the law."