22.09.2025 11:30
The second hearing has begun in the case of the fire disaster at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya Ski Resort, where 78 people lost their lives. Citizens gathered in front of the courtroom, hanging white sheets as a symbol of the tragedy, while Ahmet Demir, the manager of the Gazelle Hotel, who took the stand, stated, "The prosecution has chosen me as a scapegoat. The judiciary should not declare anyone guilty based on incomplete information."
The second hearing of the case regarding the fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort, which resulted in the death of 78 people and injuries to 133 others on January 21, has begun, with 32 defendants, including the hotel owner and municipal officials, 19 of whom are in custody.
The hearing, held in a specially created hall in the gymnasium of Bolu Social Sciences High School by the Bolu 1st Heavy Criminal Court, was attended by both detained and non-detained defendants, those injured in the fire, relatives of the deceased, and attorneys for the parties. Some complainants reacted when the detained defendants were brought into the hall. Extensive security measures were taken by law enforcement inside and around the hall, and the streets and avenues surrounding the campus were closed to vehicle traffic.
THEY HUNG A SHEET AT THE COURT
Citizens who came to the front of the courtroom hung a white sheet as a symbol of the disaster.
SCANDALOUS WORDS FROM THE HOTEL MANAGER
Ahmet Demir, the Gazelle Hotel Manager who took the stand, used scandalous statements. Demir said, "The prosecution has chosen me as a victim. I am the general manager of Gazelle Hotel. The justice system should not declare anyone guilty with incomplete information."
WHAT HAPPENED?
In the fire that broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort on January 21, 78 people lost their lives, and 133 were injured. In the 98-page indictment prepared by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and accepted by the 1st Heavy Criminal Court, the hotel owners, members of the company’s board of directors, and managers Halit Ergül, Emine Mürtezaoğlu Ergül, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, Elif Aras, Emir Aras, Zeki Yılmaz, Ahmet Demir, Kadir Özdemir, Cemal Özer, Mehmet Salun, as well as Bolu Municipality Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, and firefighter İrfan Acar are facing a total of 1998 years in prison for 78 counts of "intentional killing with probable intent" and "intentional injury with probable intent."
The technical staff of the hotel, Tahsin Pekcan, Hüseyin Özer, and Bayram Ütkü, kitchen staff Reşat Bölük, Enver Öztürk, and Faysal Yaver, occupational safety experts Kübra Demir and Ece Kayacan, receptionist Yiğithan Burak Çetin, officials of Mudurnu Energy Industry and Trade Inc. İbrahim Polat and İsmail Karagöz, FQC Global Certification Inc. official Ali Ağaoğlu and employee Aleyna Beşinci, LPG installation maintenance staff Doğan Aydın and Muharrem Şen, General Secretary of the Provincial Special Administration Sırrı Köstereli, Deputy General Secretary of the Provincial Special Administration Bünyamin Bal, Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Yeliz Erdoğan, and former Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Mehmet Özel are also facing requests for up to 22 years and 6 months in prison for "causing the death and injury of multiple persons through conscious negligence."
OPINION
In the opinion sent to the court between sessions by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was requested that hotel owner Ergül, the company's general manager Aras, Gazelle Hotel General Manager Ahmet Demir, and the hotel's accounting manager Özdemir be sentenced to 1950 years for 78 counts of "intentional killing with probable intent," and for "intentional injury with probable intent" and "intentional damage to qualified property," a total of 178 years and 582 months in prison. For Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener and Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, the same sentences were requested, while for firefighter İrfan Acar, a sentence of up to 1950 years and 172 years and 546 months was sought.
In the opinion, it was requested that company board members Emine Mürtezaoğlu Ergül, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, and Elif Aras, hotel manager Zeki Yılmaz, accounting staff Cemal Özer and Mehmet Salun, technical staff Tahsin Pekcan, Hüseyin Özer, Bayram Ütkü, kitchen staff Faysal Yaver and Reşat Bölük, occupational safety experts Kübra Demir and Ece Kayacan, receptionist Yiğithan Burak Çetin, officials of Mudurnu Energy Industry and Trade Inc. İbrahim Polat and İsmail Karagöz, FQC Global Certification Inc. official Ali Ağaoğlu and employee Aleyna Beşinci, and LPG installation maintenance staff Doğan Aydın and Muharrem Şen be sentenced to up to 22 years and 6 months in prison for "causing the death and injury of multiple persons through conscious negligence."
It was requested in the opinion that the General Secretary of the Provincial Special Administration Sırrı Köstereli, Deputy General Secretary of the Provincial Special Administration Bünyamin Bal, Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Yeliz Erdoğan, and former Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Mehmet Özel be sentenced to 2 to 15 years in prison for "causing the death and injury of multiple persons through negligence," while the acquittal of the non-detained kitchen staff Enver Öztürk was requested.