ANKARA - Turhan Cakar, the Chairman of Turkish Consumer Rights Association, indicted on Monday Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim and Chairman Suleyman Karaman of Turkish State Railways (TCDD), holding them responsible for last Thursday's high-speed train derailment in northwestern Sakarya province. After handing over a petition to the Prosecutor's Office in Ankara, Cakar told reporters that he indicted Erdogan, Yildirim and Karaman on charges that they ''neglected their duties and misused their power; did not take scientific opinions into consideration, and did not fulfil the requirements regarding the infrastructure'' and kept these three people responsible for July 22nd's high-speed train crash in Sakarya.
Cakar recalled that experts and scientists had warned the government that a train disaster might happen before the high-speed train service was launched (beginning of June) , but authorities ignored these warnings.
''As you know, high-speed trains travelling at around 400-500-600 kilometers per hour have been launched in Japan and European countries. For instance, not even a single accident happened in Japan for about 30-40 years due to a high-speed train travelling at around 250 kilometers per hour. If you do what science dictates, you will see the benefits. But, Turkish officials didn't act according to scientific requirements and this caused the death of 37 people. We, as Turkish people, don't want to experience such tragedies again since we don't deserve them,'' Cakar said.
Claiming that proofs were obscured after the train crash in Sakarya, Cakar said that prosecutors arrived at the scene of the accident 20 hours later and noted, ''authorities had to start dealing with the matter immediately, and nothing had to be changed at the scene of the crash. Because, that evidence would enlighten the cause of the accident. Officials are in fact responsible for the lost of evidence.'' ''Scientists had many times stated that 100-year-old technology and rail network (actually in place in Turkey) were not suitable for high-speed trains. If we are a state of law, we should do what it takes after this train crash,'' Cakar said. Cakar has asked judicial organs to punish who are responsible under Articles 455, 230 and 240 of the Turkish Penal Code, regulating ''neglecting duties and misusing power.''
These articles foresee imprisonment terms ranging between one to 10 years if the suspects are believed that they neglected their duties.
According to Turkish legislation an investigation can't be launched against prosecutors, prime minister, ministers and deputies. In these cases, files are submitted to the parliament, and these people can only be tried by the High Court, if the parliament decides so.
On the other hand, after an investigation is carried out against TCDD Director General and evidence is collected, prosecutors apply to the Transportation Ministry for trial of the director general.
Jurists say that such a process lasts long and generally is left without any conclusion, while Cakar said, ''although it is so, we should show our sensitivity.''
A high-speed train derailed near Sakarya's Pamukova town last Thursday, en route from Istanbul to Ankara, killing 37.
(BRC-ULG) 26.07.2004