The Union of Chambers of Engineers and Architects of Turkey (Tmmob, Türk Mühendis ve Mimar Odalari Birligi), has criticized the national institutions for having built the Hatay international airport, located between Alexandretta and Antioch, on the fault line. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake split the take-off and landing runways in half, making the airport unusable, as well as the motorway.

"The top priority now is to save lives, however it is also fair to criticize. We had warned many times before Hatay airport was built that the project was located along the fault line. But no one listened to us", said the president of the Ankara section of the Union of Engineers, Tezcan Karakus Candan, interviewed by the newspaper "Bianet".

The president of the local branch of Hatay, Adnan Özçelik, regarding World Bank funds to the Turkish government to make buildings safer, said: "We have always told the authorities that the priority should be to renovate the damaged buildings. Unfortunately, the economic resources have been used to carry out mega projects. These choices are the basis of the tragedy we are experiencing today".