Greed is something to which all must cater
Both north and south of the equator.
  We all know for a fact
  That when signing contracts
Profit will be the prime motivator.

Thus we're unsurprised when one reveals
That a company has shady deals.
  Government officials tend
  To give jobs to a friend;
It's all part of greasing the wheels.

But it caused problems in Istanbul
(Formerly called Constantinople)
  Men who were given trust
  Turned some buildings to dust
With the swindles that they tried to pull.

The government hired some men
Whom they knew to construct tenements.
  But the guys whom they hired
  Quite simply desired
To build cheaply and save a few cents.

Then the builders ignored regulations
And abused their ill-gotten high stations.
  Building codes were neglected
  Since the builders expected
That nobody would make allegations

So the soil tests were never conducted
Nor the quake-proofing as was instructed.
  Extra stories were added
  As their pockets were padded
From saving on what they constructed.

The skimping on materials was grand,
They mixed their concrete with sea sand.
  Since sea salt is corrosive,
  The result is explosive
When a building is so poorly planned.

In August the big earthquake came
And Turkey would never be the same.
  16,000 were dead
  And the survivors said
That they knew the builders were to blame.

Those apartments fell down on the double,
Reduced to a mere pile of rubble.
  The buildings that sank are a
  Disgrace to Ankara
And the builders should be in big trouble.

So the government's sending some aid;
Courts argue what amends should be made.
  But to save on building costs
  Far too many lives were lost
And that debt can never be repaid.