In the expert report on the negligence that separated the doctor and his spouse from life in the wedding hall.

06.09.2025 16:42

A report from an expert has emerged regarding the incident in which Dr. Mehmet Baltacı and his wife, Güler Baltacı, lost their lives due to the collapse of a decorative arch at the garden entrance of a wedding hall in İzmir. The report states that the incident was "foreseeable" and "preventable," and it was attributed to negligence and carelessness.

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A heartbreaking incident occurred on May 25 at around 1:00 PM in a wedding hall located in Yahşelli Neighborhood, Menemen district of İzmir. A breakfast event was organized for parents by a kindergarten. Dr. Mehmet Fatih Baltacı (35) and his wife Güler Baltacı (35), who work at the İzmir City Hospital's Pediatric Emergency Medicine Clinic, also attended the event of the kindergarten their daughter goes to.

DECORATIVE ARCH KILLED THE YOUNG COUPLE

After the program, as the couple headed towards the exit, the decorative arch at the garden entrance collapsed on them. The girl next to the couple escaped without injury. Upon notification, health, fire, gendarmerie, and AFAD teams were dispatched to the area. The Baltacı couple, who were rescued from the rubble by the teams, were taken to Menemen State Hospital. Despite the interventions, Dr. Mehmet Baltacı could not be saved. Güler Baltacı, who was transferred to İzmir City Hospital, also lost her life.

LAST MOMENTS ON CAMERA

The couple's last moments were captured by the security camera of the wedding hall. In the footage, it was seen that the couple was walking towards the door with their daughter, and trees were swaying due to the strong wind affecting the area at that time.

WEDDING HALL OWNER ARRESTED

In the investigation, the owner of the wedding hall, operators İsmet Ceylan (50), his mother N. C., and father G. C. were taken into custody on the day of the incident. It was learned that the suspects stated in their testimonies that there was a tarpaulin on the arch and that it collapsed due to the wind, expressing their regret over the incident. After their procedures, the suspects were referred to the courthouse on May 26, where İsmet Ceylan was arrested by the Duty Peace Criminal Court, while his mother and father were released under judicial control.

CHILDHOOD LOVE

Dr. Mehmet Baltacı and his wife Güler Baltacı were buried in Gölbaşı district of Ankara. Their relatives stated that the Baltacı couple carried their love, which started in middle school, into marriage and planned to have their second child.

EXPERT REPORT REVEALED

The Menemen Chief Public Prosecutor's Office conducted a detailed investigation following the incident. A three-person expert committee was formed to examine the case. The report prepared by the expert committee was released. The report stated that the stone wall was constructed after obtaining a permit, and it was also noted that there was no obligation to obtain a permit for the stone wall.

"USE OF INAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL IN THE WRONG PLACE"

The reasons for negligence were listed in the report as follows: "The fatal accident that occurred in the wedding hall was caused by the use of inappropriate material (stone wall) in the wrong place, the use of a decorative stone wall that does not have sufficient tensile and compressive strength for a purpose other than its intended use, the construction of a door, and the installation of a rectangular profile on it to cover large areas with a tarpaulin; it occurred due to the failure to comply with general occupational health and safety measures and rules, and it was evaluated that the owner of the building, who had the duty to take these measures and precautions, as well as the operators of the wedding hall, who accepted and operated the property in this condition, could be primarily at fault in the occurrence of the accident."

"IT WAS PREDICTABLE AND PREVENTABLE"

The report also included the events of the day: "It was determined that the breakfast event was held in the open area of the wedding hall, which was covered with a tarpaulin, and that the weather was windy during the event, and that the tension rope of the tarpaulin was attached to the upper part of the collapsed entrance tag, which was connected to a rectangular corner profile, and that the entrance tag collapsed into the interior of the business due to the excessive pressure of the wind on the tarpaulin. It was concluded that the incident was predictable and preventable, that it occurred due to negligence and carelessness, and that there was no factor of inevitability in the occurrence of the accident."

In the report, it was stated, "When the incident is examined, it is noted that the tarpaulin was attached to the corner iron mounted on the decorative stone wall, which was built for decorative purposes, without calculating the load-bearing capacity of these irons, using the stone wall for a purpose other than its intended use, and that the tarpaulin's steel cables were not properly secured to a solid ground (concrete, etc.).

It has been understood that the reasons for the accident are related to the failure to connect the (safety) cables.

"TECHNICALLY AND CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE"

In the report, it was stated that "the suspect G. C., who allowed the steel cables to be pulled to the rebar and the tarpaulin to be tied despite knowing that concrete was not poured on the corner rebar on the stone wall, and did not warn his son İsmet Ceylan about this, is technically and criminally responsible for the incident; the suspect İsmet Ceylan, who did not have the carrying capacity of the corner rebar calculated, did not ensure that the steel cables of the tarpaulin were secured to a solid ground, and did not have a risk assessment conducted, is also technically and criminally responsible for the occurrence of the incident; it has been concluded that the suspect N. C., who was responsible for the preparation and collection of the tables and the kitchen part of the business, has no technical or criminal fault in the incident."