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Turkish building contractors to face tough regulations after 2012

03 November 2011 [11:50] - TODAY.AZ
Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning officials on Tuesday told Cihan news agency that it will enforce new regulations on construction to ensure buildings do not collapse in the event of an earthquake.

Hundreds were killed in an quake that shook the eastern province of Van on Oct. 23. Many have blamed contractors for 95 buildings that were completely destroyed and other buildings that were partially damaged.

A common view is held among construction specialists, who suggest that contractors tend to use cheap building materials and do not follow zoning regulations.

Speaking to Cihan news agency, Environment and Urban Planning Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Mücahit Demirtaş stated that as of January 2012, building contractors will be issued special ID numbers and every project carried out will be tracked by the ministry.

Under this new regulation, contractors will be banned from working in construction when a zoning fault is identified, which will then be recorded in a government database of contractors to prevent that person from receiving a construction permit at any municipality in the country.

Building audit companies will also keep track of construction projects and when ministry inspectors find fault in the work of an audit company, it will be issued a fine.

The ministry expects audit companies to carry out acceptable assessments of building work if they face large fines for not doing so.

"As the building work carried out of contractors is going to be tracked, any faults with construction will be recorded by the audit companies. Until the fault is amended, the record will remain and the constructor will not be permitted to do any construction work construction. The records will be kept on the Finance Ministry and the Environment and Urban Planning Ministry's databases," said Demirtaş.

He later added that not just anyone will be permitted to work in construction and those who want to work as a construction worker will need to hold a certificate from a vocational school. "From 2012, people who hold a certificate in construction will be allowed to work as a construction worker, while people who do not hold a certificate will not be permitted to work."

Investigation under way into contractors of leveled buildings

Erciş Prosecutors' Office on Monday launched an investigation into the contractors and owners of the buildings that collapsed during the powerful earthquake in the eastern province of Van.

Erciş prosecutors examined court documents from the 1999 Marmara quake, which killed around 20,000 and left thousands homeless in the Marmara region, to compare the cases. The prosecutors also stated that the suspects are likely to be prosecuted with involuntary manslaughter. Work to remove the debris has been paused for prosecutors to examine the debris for evidence.

A total of eight prosecutors and four judges assessed 67 of the 95 buildings, which were destroyed in the Van quake. The assessment of the other 28 buildings is still ongoing. Concrete samples and samples of other building materials were taken from the debris' to be examined in laboratories.

Government to assess buildings for quake resistance

The government will conduct an earthquake resistance test in the provinces at high risk of earthquakes. Following the tests, buildings will be separated into three categories: buildings that must be demolished, buildings that need to be strengthened, and already quake-proof buildings. Owners of quake-resistant buildings will not be obligated to do anything, while owners of the buildings that need to be strengthened will be given a certain amount of time to retrofit them.

On the orders of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, owners of weak and damaged buildings that must be demolished will be given three options to choose from; they will either be asked to buy a flat in one of the housing complexes of the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ), where they will get reduction in the price for losing their home. The second option will be to have an apartment in one of the apartments that will replace the demolished building and the final option for owners will be to sell their home to the government.


/World Bulletin/
URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/97625.html

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