February 12, 2023, 10:40 AM
February 12, 2023, 10:40 AM
Turkish authorities detained 48 people on Saturday for looting following the devastating earthquake that struck the country and neighboring Syria on Monday, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
the suspects were detained in eight provinces of the country after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the area and killed more than 25,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decreed a state of emergency for a period of three months in 10 provinces in the southeast of Turkey, affected by the telluric movement.
According to a published decree, this means that prosecutors can detain looting suspects for seven days instead of four.
“We announced a state of emergency. This means that from now on, people involved in looting or kidnapping should know that the firm hand of the state is on them,” Erdogan said on a visit to Diyarbakir province.
