Turkey mourns accident victims

Thursday’s crash came as a major embarrassment to the government that had showcased the speed-train as one of its major projects.

Engineers quickly came forward saying they had warned the government on numerous occasions that the old tracks on the Istanbul-Ankara line could not handle the new high-speed carriages.

Civil engineering expert Aydin Erel warned 15-days-ago that the train was unsafe. "The infrastructure is not fit for a fast-link train … I would not get on this train and I would not let my loved ones use it either," he was quoted as telling a conference before the crash.

But the Vatan newspaper carried an interview with Transport Minister Binali Yildirim, conducted just hours before the accident, in which he said the new train was perfectly safe.

Newspapers and trade unionists blamed the government for Thursday’s accident, saying it had ignored experts’ safety warnings over the new fast-service-train between Istanbul, the commercial hub, and the capital Ankara.

Officials said the accident had probably been caused by a mechanical fault, but the media focused on the dilapidated state of the network, saying the track in question was more than 100-years-old.

Passengers were quoted as saying the train was travelling very fast at the time of the accident, much more than the 75-80 kph (47-50 mph) cited by officials on Thursday night.

Many children; and four foreigners — two Germans and two Jordanians — were among the dead, CNN Turk television said.

In comments on Thursday night, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the accident may have been unavoidable. "These types of crashes can happen anywhere in the world," he said.

Paramilitary police on Friday detained the train driver and his assistant for questioning, a police official told The Associated Press upon the customary condition of anonymity.

Government officials cautious
Amid calls for the resignation of the transport minister and accusations against the government, officials adamantly defended their minister.

Opposition leader Deniz Baykal was also among those who blamed the government. "In any other country a government that acts so irresponsibly would have long resigned," he said. He also noted that those who are responsible for the accident should be punished in advance.

Meanwhile, True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar told reporters on Friday the accident was no surprise, and that officials were late in taking precautions to prevent such a disaster. "All the warnings had been made, but officials turned a deaf ear," stressed Agar.

As well as other political parties, Motherland Party (ANAP) leader Nesrin Nas was also among those who called for the resignation of the transport minister, blaming the government for the accident.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener refused to explain the discrepancy, saying authorities were looking into it. He also rejected calls for the transport minister’s resignation saying it was too early to reach any conclusion.

The crash marked a setback to Turkey’s efforts to modernize its outdated rail services and for the government of Erdogan, who himself launched the high-speed line.

Much of Turkey’s rail system dates back to the late 19th and early 20th century, and few lines have undergone renovation. Past governments have concentrated on building roads while neglecting rail lines.