Images of buildings collapsing like sandcastles during devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey have sparked outrage. How did it happen that some new buildings, which were supposed to be more earthquake resistant, quickly turned into piles of rubble? After the tears are wiped away, they begin to look for the culprits.

Recep Erdogan attended the funeral of the victims of the devastating earthquake in TurkeyPhoto: Murat Cetin Muhurdar / AFP / Profimedia Images

All this during a reconstruction estimated to cost Turkey $84 billion, ahead of a difficult election for autocrat Erdogan and in the extremely difficult economic context in which Turks live.

Turkish authorities have issued at least 113 arrest warrants over the way the buildings that collapsed in the earthquake were constructed and because they did not meet construction standards, especially in an area known to be at high seismic risk.

More than 50,000 buildings that collapsed or were severely damaged in the region hit by two 7-magnitude earthquakes will have to be demolished, according to Turkey’s Environment Minister Murat Kurum. The tragic death toll in Turkey and Syria has exceeded 40,000.

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