ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – November 2011
WHO IS THE CULPRIT?
There is a big problem. We need someone to blame, someone to hold responsible, so we started pointing fingers. It’s as if we’ve never experienced an earthquake before. We tried to understand the cause of the destruction with great seriousness! It seems like some of us are hearing for the first time that our building stock’s earthquake resistance is insufficient.
I won’t prolong this too much. If we’re looking for a culprit, let’s not look too far— the culprit is closer than we think.
WHO IS THE CULPRIT?
Is the culprit the ENGINEER who didn’t prepare a project that conforms to earthquake regulations and building behavior and didn’t control the construction on-site?
Is the culprit the ARCHITECT who sacrificed structural integrity for aesthetics?
Is the culprit the PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS that didn’t oversee the projects?
Is the culprit the CARPENTER and IRONWORKERS who didn’t implement the project correctly on-site?
Is the culprit the CONTRACTOR who didn’t supervise his workers and was negligent?
Is the culprit the MUNICIPALITIES that didn’t monitor constructions, didn’t employ enough technical staff, and didn’t care about earthquake risks?
Is the culprit the CONSTRUCTION GUARD who didn’t water the concrete?
Is the culprit the READY-MIX CONCRETE PLANT that only checks the diploma, not the engineer, unless there’s competition?
Is the culprit the CEMENT FACTORY that produces without competition and oversight?
Is the culprit the MINISTRY that introduced the mandatory "G" certificate for concrete but didn’t follow up?
Is the culprit the POLITICAL PARTIES that used urban transformation only for votes, granting building permits for illegal constructions before elections?
Is the culprit the ACADEMIC STAFF who stay distant from implementation?
Is the culprit the UNIVERSITY STUDENT who, despite all efforts, sleeps through the back row, is late to the 5 PM class, and has had their curiosity surgically removed?
Is the culprit the PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS that have turned politics into their profession and whose work remains only in the name of their organization?
Is the culprit the CITIZEN who didn’t remind the politician about the earthquake before it happened and who calls those who do so "disaster prophets"?
Is the culprit the HOUSEWIFE who cares more about the color of the kitchen cabinet than the structural integrity of the house when buying a home?
Is the culprit the TV JOURNALISTS who, because it’s not in the ratings, only talk about earthquakes when they happen and think they’ve saved the country by doing a post-earthquake show?
Is the culprit the JOURNALISTS AND COLUMNISTS who find something to write every day but never once thought of earthquake preparedness or the lack of earthquake-resistant buildings before the disaster?
Is the culprit the APARTMENT MANAGER who secretly repairs a damaged building to prevent its value from dropping?
Is the culprit the TECHNICAL STAFF who have rented their brains to computer programs and lost their ability to reason?
Is the culprit the MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION that doesn’t provide earthquake education and awareness?
Is the culprit the MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT who ignore, don’t see, or don’t hear civil society organizations and universities that produce projects on urban transformation, earthquake strategies, and local issues?
Is the culprit the MAYOR who opens every piece of land to construction for political gain?
Is the culprit the TENDER SYSTEM that awards jobs to the cheapest contractors instead of those who build solid structures?
Is the culprit the LOCAL GOVERNMENTS that, in rare cases, don’t invite representatives from construction and geology departments to earthquake-related meetings before the event?
Is the culprit ME?
Is the culprit YOU?
Is the culprit HIM/HER?
Is the culprit US?
Is the culprit, in the end, all of us, who forget everything two months after an earthquake and, when the next earthquake comes, act surprised as if caught in a snowstorm in August?
Who do you think is the culprit?