Officials in Turkey say 113 arrest warrants have been issued in connection with the construction of buildings that collapsed in last Monday’s earthquake.
Turkish police have already taken at least 12 people into custody, including building contractors.
More arrests are expected – but the action will be seen by many as an attempt to divert overall blame for the disaster.
Meanwhile, unrest in southern Turkey has disrupted rescue efforts in some places.
The number of people confirmed to have died in Turkey and Syria has risen to more than 33,000.
For years, experts warned that many new buildings in Turkey were unsafe due to endemic corruption and government policies.
Those policies allowed so-called amnesties for contractors who by-passed building regulations, in order to encourage a construction boom – including in earthquake-prone regions.