In the corridor of an old bazaar in Antakya, a city hit by the devastating earthquake that hit southern Turkey, a young man runs with a bloody head, pursued by a merchant with an iron bar who accuses him of looting a shop. In this ancient city, the streets are empty and full of dust after the 7.8 magnitude tremor that destroyed parts of the country and Syria, leaving more than 28,000 dead.
Taking advantage of the destruction and the flight of residents, looters broke shop windows and knocked down the bars that protected some stores. The situation suddenly became tense this Saturday (11). So merchants and police decided to stand guard, ready to react to any suspicion.
A few days ago, families emptied markets to feed themselves. But the looting also affected telephone, computer and clothing stores. In a technology establishment, only the signs with the name of cell phone brands remain. The rest are empty, with a few cases of stolen devices on the floor.
In the store next door, the fallen mannequins no longer have the clothes they were displaying. ATMs have not been spared either. Four of them were ripped from their seats and emptied.
According to the security services, at least 48 people were arrested for looting in eight of the ten provinces hit by the earthquake, 42 of them in Hatay alone, where the city of Antakya is located.
When they were arrested, they were carrying large amounts of money, as well as cell phones, computers, weapons, jewelry and bank cards. “We are watching our cars and houses,” said resident Aylin Kabasakal.
“The looters also come to the houses. I don’t know what to say, we are destroyed, in a state of shock, it’s a nightmare,” added the woman. “Our authorities must protect us.”
In this border province with Syria, which in 2021 had more than 430,000 refugees from the neighboring country, Turkish fingers point at “foreigners”. Social media is full of threats of looters, with videos showing scenes of people being beaten.
An appliance salesman, Nizamettin Bilmez, makes a counterpoint: “The Turks can do it too”. His store entrance was partially covered after a nearby building collapsed, which protected part of his vacuum cleaners from looters. Bilmez says he believes what you see in the markets now is “normal”. “People needed food, diapers. Help wasn’t enough.”
In the face of chaos, the State tries to act. A decree published on Saturday allows prosecutors to detain suspected looters for seven days, not four. In Diyarbakir, in the southeast of the country, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recalled that Turkey is under a state of emergency. “It means that, from now on, people involved in looting or kidnapping must know that the steady hand of the state will be on them.”
Meanwhile, traders prepare for any incident. And Aylin Kabasakal’s husband says he has a gun and will be on standby in front of her house.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
