Final Verdict in the Grand Kartal Hotel Fire Case Announced
The Bolu 1st High Criminal Court, after holding several hearings, has issued its final ruling in the “Grand Kartal Hotel” fire case.
According to the court’s decision, eleven defendants, including hotel owner Halit Ergül, were each sentenced to 34 counts of life imprisonment. The other defendants received 44 counts of imprisonment, amounting to 24 years and 11 months.
The hearing was held in the sports hall of Bolu Social Sciences High School, with the attendance of detained and free defendants, families of the victims, relatives of the accused, and lawyers from both sides. Security forces implemented extensive measures around the venue and blocked the roads leading to the university.
On the fourth day of the proceedings, which was recorded via the audio-visual system SEGBİS, the defendants and their lawyers presented their additional defenses. Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, a member of the company’s board of directors, limited herself to repeating her previous statements.
Hotel owner Halit Ergül, while denying any structural alterations to the building, claimed that the hotel’s liquefied gas installations had not been inspected, which, he argued, caused the fire to spread. He further emphasized that the primary responsibility lay with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
During the defenses, some plaintiffs reacted. Yüksel Gültekin, a lawyer who lost eight relatives in the incident, requested the screening of a video showing Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül speaking on a television program, calling it evidence to clarify the truth. However, the judicial panel rejected this request.
Speaking on the sidelines of the hearing, Gültekin said: “This is not an ordinary case. Seventy-eight people lost their lives. We expect a fair ruling that will serve as a model for Turkey.”
The incident occurred on January 21 at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort, resulting in the deaths of 78 people and injuries to 137 others. The 98-page indictment prepared by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office charged a wide range of managers, employees, and local officials with “probable intent to kill” and “conscious negligence.”
