Venezuelan earthquake survivors rage at Turkish firm: 'If they were earthquake-resistant, why did they collapse?'

An earthquake in Venezuela has resulted in a devastating death toll exceeding 3,342, with 16,470 individuals injured and 17,345 left homeless, according to the Venezuelan Ministry of Information. The disaster has also highlighted the failure of construction projects built by a Turkish company.

Journalist Mustafa Özdemir reported that residential buildings constructed by the Turkish firm Summa İnşaat in 2014, which were promoted as earthquake-resistant, were reduced to rubble. Of 192 blocks, 160 collapsed. The devastation within these buildings alone has led to an estimated 800 deaths, with 600 residents still unaccounted for.

Survivors are directing their anger and questions towards Turkey. "In 2014, a Turkish company announced it would build earthquake-resistant housing. We trusted them and moved in. But they all collapsed. We have so many dead. We cannot reach our missing loved ones. If they were earthquake-resistant, why did they fall?" one survivor exclaimed, as reported by Özdemir.

The construction project was initiated following a 2010 flood disaster in Venezuela. Turkey's then-Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Taner Yıldız, visited Venezuela, leading to a proposal for housing construction in exchange for oil. Summa İnşaat accepted an invitation from the Venezuelan government and began building 1,500 housing units in the capital, Caracas, for flood victims.

Selim Bora, Chairman of the DEİK Turkish-Venezuelan Business Council and Summa İnşaat, had previously boasted about the company's efficiency, telling Anadolu Agency that they completed the 1,500 units in 10 months, significantly faster than other international contractors working in Venezuela. "We completed 1,500 housing units in 10 months and will deliver them within a few weeks," he stated at the time.

Cumhuriyet newspaper attempted to contact Summa İnşaat for comment on the allegations but was told by company officials that they would not provide any statement.

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Bize bin 500 konutu kaç ayda bitirirsiniz? diye sordular, biz de '11 ay' diye cevap verdik. Taahhüt ettiğimiz süre karşısında şaşırdılar. Çünkü Venezuela'da iş yapan Çinli, İranlı, İspanyol, İtalyan ve Rus müteahhitlere kıyasla verdiğimiz süre oldukça kısaydı. Neticede bin 500 konutu 10 ayda tamamladık ve birkaç hafta içinde teslim edeceğiz.