...By Gift BADEWO for TDPel Media.
Father who lost wife and children in Turkish earthquake kills remaining daughter before taking his own life
A father who lost his wife and two children in the devastating Turkey earthquakes has tragically taken the life of his surviving daughter.
Secondary school science teacher Ferit Dayan had been receiving counselling after the powerful 7.7 and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes hit Besni, Adiyaman Province, and other parts of Syria on February 6, killing his wife, Feray, and two of their children, Alperen and Azra Beril.
Their 12-year-old daughter Asya Irem Dayan was the only surviving member of the family, although their home was destroyed in the disaster.
Father kills daughter before taking his own life
On April 27, Mr Dayan called his daughter inside from the garden of their new home before shooting her in the head.
He is then said to have killed himself.
Neighbours who heard gunshots called the emergency services, who promptly dispatched paramedics and police officers to the house.
Asya was found with serious injuries and taken to Besni State Hospital before being transferred to Adiyaman Education and Research Hospital.
Sadly, less than three months after surviving the earthquakes, Asya succumbed to her injuries and died in the intensive care unit.
Investigation into the tragedy
An investigation into the tragedy is ongoing. The Disasters Emergency Committee believes that the quakes claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people and destroyed and damaged around 214,000 buildings, leaving people homeless, with a total of 18 million affected.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to rebuild homes within a year, although it is hoped that safety will be prioritized over speed.
Poor-quality building practices
Eyup Muhcu, president of the Chamber of Architects of Turkey, has warned that thousands of people likely died as a result of poor-quality building practices.
Although Turkey lies on multiple fault lines, the infrastructure legislation dictates that many structures must be reinforced and constructed in compliance with strict building codes.
However, a lack of oversight and a loophole in government policy which allows builders and developers found to have fallen short of standards to pay fines rather than improve their buildings means that many buildings, including modern apartments built since the introduction of earthquake-proofing building codes, are not up to scratch.
