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“Everything was stolen”… Twice ringing looting crimes in Turkiye residents

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On the morning of the 12th (local time), rescue and restoration work is underway at the site affected by the earthquake in Antakya, Turkey, Hatay Province. 2023.2.12/News 1

The security situation is deteriorating in Turkey’s earthquake-stricken areas, with looting crimes rampant.

It seems that anti-immigrant sentiment is spreading as merchants empty store shelves for fear of looting and residents have their valuables stolen.

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According to AFP and Reuters on the 12th (local time), crimes such as looting shops or stealing valuables from cars or empty houses are occurring one after another in the areas affected by the earthquake in Turkiye.

Looting also took place at hypermarkets and pharmacies, as well as high-end electronics and clothing stores. ATMs were also torn down.

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Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag Türkiye said 57 people were arrested on suspicion of theft.

Continued looting has forced vendors to stop selling, emptying store shelves. Some merchants even stood guard in front of their stores along with security forces dispatched to affected areas.

Yuxel Woojun, who runs an electronics store, complained, “Our store is in ruins,” and “the thieves took everything they could take,” and loaded the remaining items, such as cell phone cases and chargers, onto the truck.

Textile wholesale shop owner Mehmet Dilmez sighed, saying, “The looters broke in through the cracks created by the earthquake.

“I’m guarding my house and car to prevent looting,” said Eileen Kavasakal, a Hatay resident in southern Turkey. “I’m having a nightmare. The authorities must protect us,” he burst into anger.

Some residents responded that such a crime had to happen in a desperate situation.

Store owner Berkan Yogurt Cuoglu said looting was unavoidable in the first few days because the delivery of relief goods and supplies was delayed.

The Turkish authorities issued an edict to punish looters. As a result, the statutory detention period for looting suspects has been increased from four to seven days under the declaration of a state of emergency.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkiye also promised strict measures. President Erdogan visited the earthquake-stricken southern city of Adiyaman on the 10th and denounced the looters as “opportunists who turn this suffering into their own political gain” and warned that the necessary punishment would be meted out.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the strong earthquake that occurred on the 6th exceeded 33,000 in total. The death toll rose to 29,605 in Turkey and 3,574 in Syria, bringing the total to 33,179, and the United Nations warns the final death toll could at least double.

Source: Donga

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