The earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş caused massive destruction in Hatay, resulting in the deaths of nearly 25,000 people. Ahmet Artan, 39, who was caught in the disaster of the century in his third-floor apartment in Narlıca Neighborhood, was rescued from his trapped home after a half-hour struggle. Artan's battle, after surviving the earthquake unharmed, began with being registered as dead.
The citizen, a victim of the earthquake, was entered into the system as deceased in place of another citizen with the same first name, surname, and father's name who died in the earthquake. Despite being able to correct the error in the system for banking transactions, Artan, who still appears as 'dead' in many state institutions, faces the warning 'Person is deceased, transaction cannot be processed' in the health institutions' system.
Artan stated that he needs a health report to renew his expired driver's license, but he cannot renew it because he cannot obtain the report. Artan, who received a traffic fine due to driving without a license because of the systemic error, said he wants the mistake corrected as soon as possible, remarking, 'When it comes to traffic fines, I'm alive, but when it comes to some things, I'm dead.'
Artan expressed that he cannot get a report from his family doctor and cannot renew his license because he appears dead in the system, adding that he was fined for driving without a license. They had shown him as 'dead' in the earthquake on February 6. This situation previously showed us as dead in banks, and they corrected that error.
After that, I was still appearing as dead in some of our state's institutions, and they corrected that too. Now my driver's license has expired and I want to renew it. I went to the hospital and asked for a health report, but they refer me to the family doctor. When I go to the family doctor, an error comes up saying 'Your record does not exist, registration cannot be made because the person appears deceased.' I went to the health center.
At the health center, similarly, it appears as 'person is deceased in the system, transaction cannot be processed.' Yesterday, I even met with many friends, called many places. I even wrote and sent a complaint petition to CİMER. I also wrote a petition here at the Health Center to our Ministry of Health. I said, 'I want this error corrected immediately.'
Right now, I still appear as dead only in family health centers and health institutions. Even the date of death is shown as 06.02.2023. I hope they correct this error. Because my license has now expired and I cannot extend it. So that they don't stop me tomorrow or the day after and write me a fine. I received a traffic fine a week ago. When it comes to traffic fines, I'm alive, but when it comes to some things, I'm dead.
I want this error corrected as soon as possible. Because I am suffering serious grievances, he said. MY NICKNAME SINCE THE EARTHQUAKE HAS BEEN 'THE LIVING DEAD' Ahmet Artan stated that because he appears dead in the systems, his friends address him as 'the living dead,' saying, Back then, no one had identification, so a friend named Ahmet Artan had passed away.
Since his father's name was also Mehmet, they showed me as dead instead of showing him as dead. We corrected this later, but some state institutions still have not corrected this error. That's why I am suffering grievances. For example, this incident happened just yesterday, when I went to the health institution yesterday and gave my own ID, it came out like this: 'Ahmet Artan person is deceased, transaction cannot be processed.' I went to the family doctor, the family doctor said 'you have no record.'
The error 'Person is deceased, transaction cannot be processed' comes up. I appear as dead in health institutions, he said. Artan, who wants this error corrected immediately, said, Since the earthquake, our nickname has been 'the living dead' and my friends call me 'the living dead.' When you look at it now, it sometimes seems funny, but I am suffering very serious grievances.
