The Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly Zorlu Töre too has expressed his full confidence in the Turkish judicial system.
Speaker Töre, who answered questions on BRT on Wednesday morning said they were confident that the court will impose the harshest penalty on those responsible.
Speaking on BRT as the Ä°sias trial got underway on Wednesday, Parliamentary Speaker Zorlu Töre said, “Not only the families and relatives of our Champion Angels but also the Turkish Cypriot People suffered greatly in the earthquake in TĂĽrkiye on February 6.”
The Isias hotel in the Turkish city of Adıyaman collapsed on February 6 last year during the earthquakes which hit the region.
The Gazimağusa Türk Maarif College (TMK) school volleyball team were in Adıyaman for a tournament.
Following their deaths, the team received the nickname “champion angels”.
Töre expressed that they are aware of the difficulties and sorrows experienced by the families of the Champion Angels and shared their pain.
Töre, reminding that İsias was originally built as a residence and later converted into a hotel through renovations, stated that the prepared reports also indicate that the building was not structurally sound.
He mentioned that the reports confirmed that the supporting columns of the building had been cut to make room for the hotel’s lobby and debris collected from the rubble was found to be substandard.
Töre also added that the court’s ruling will set a precedent for similar cases in the future.
“The justice mechanism is working, and hopefully those involved in this incident will receive the harshest punishment,” he said.
The TRNC parliamentary speaker said that people’s lives should not be endangered for the sake of profit. Those who renovated this building and those who allowed it are guilty in our conscience. They must definitely receive their punishment,” Töre said.
A total of 11 people stand accused of “causing death by conscious negligence” at Adiyaman’s third High criminal court, and, if found guilty, could face a maximum of 22 and a half years in prison.