Letter of apology to SARGIN

In an article published in the online edition of the First Post on the 27th of July 2009 (now removed), we reported on an incident that took place in Istanbul, on a construction operated by the SARGIN Constr.Mach.Indust and Trade INC, a construction firm based in Ankara, Turkey. We reported that SARGIN was responsible for destroying the wall of a Byzantine bathhouse, that it committed a criminal offence and that it lacks “technical expertise, qualified personnel or respect for safety”. We also suggested that SARGIN had acted in bad faith, alleging that it deliberately destroyed the wall because it had failed to obtain legal permission. Finally, we suggested that SARGIN is implicated in corruptive practises regarding building and planning licensing in Turkey.

We now accept that these damaging allegations were unfounded and erroneous and should not have been published. SARGIN is a company which operated lawfully on the site, having obtained lawfully all necessary licenses from Turkish authorities. We also accept that the wall that collapsed was not a protected historical monument and that SARGIN was not criminally responsible for the collapse. The wall that collapsed was an old retaining wall, made of soil reinforced rock fill, that had become loose over time, and collapsed because of natural causes. Finally, we accept that there is absolutely no basis for alleging that SARGIN was implicated in planning or other type of corruption. We accept that SARGIN’s immediate and detailed response to these allegations were truthful, and we apologise for having published these unfounded and damaging allegations. ·