President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday that the Turkish government will take action against individuals who have participated in looting and other criminal activities in the region affected by this week’s massive earthquakes, Reuters reported.
During his visit to the quake zone, the president stated that hundreds of thousands of buildings in southern Turkey are no longer suitable for habitation and that the authorities plan to begin the reconstruction process within weeks.
Videos posted by Turks on social media depict suspected looters being apprehended by both the police and vigilantes.
The individuals were then made to kneel in rows and subjected to physical abuse, such as kicks and being held down, if they attempted to protest.
Other videos show angry mobs physically assaulting the alleged thieves before they were taken away by military personnel.