30.10.2025 22:36
In the case regarding the fire disaster in Bolu Kartalkaya, which claimed the lives of 78 people, the verdict hearing is ongoing while the defenses on the merits are being presented. Lawyer Yüksel Gültekin, who lost 8 relatives in the fire, stated, "The decision to be made should not be solely a decision directed at us. It should be a decision that reflects Turkish justice, and even a decision that brings honor to Turkish justice."
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On the third day of the third hearing of the case regarding the Grand Kartal Hotel fire, in which 78 people lost their lives, 137 were injured, and 32 defendants, 20 of whom are detained, are being tried, the defendants' main defenses were completed.
"IT MUST BE A PRIDEFUL DECISION OF TURKISH JUSTICE" Lawyer Yüksel Gültekin, who lost 8 relatives in the fire, made a statement to journalists outside the courtroom. Gültekin emphasized that the decision to be made regarding the case should satisfy the public conscience and the families, saying: "Ultimately, we expect the decision to satisfy the conscience of the public regarding the decision to be made in this case, to partially soothe the bleeding wound in the hearts of the families, but most importantly, we expect a precedent decision to be made in the face of this fire that caused the sixth largest loss of life in the world. Therefore, the decision to be made should not only be a decision directed at us. It should be a prideful decision of Turkish justice, and we are waiting and hoping for this. The last part of the statements is being taken. I predict that the decision will be announced by tomorrow morning."
"9 PERSONNEL CONTINUE TO MANAGE THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM" Gültekin stated that despite permission being granted for an investigation regarding 9 personnel in the Ministry, these individuals are still continuing their duties, saying: "The Tourism Ministry, which is primarily at fault in the prosecutor's file, initially granted investigation permission for 3 personnel on its own. Later, the 1st Chamber of the Council of State, by a majority vote - this is very important - granted investigation permission for other personnel except for the Deputy Minister of Tourism, despite the opposition of the President of the Council of State. However, until today, that is, until the moment I made this statement, these personnel have not been suspended from their duties. The prosecutor's office has neither called these individuals, nor issued a detention order, nor referred them for arrest. These 9 personnel continue to manage the Ministry of Tourism. As a lawyer with 35 years of experience, I have never seen such a legal absurdity. It is impossible for us to remain silent about this. But our voice is not enough. Therefore, I request support from the press on this issue. Such an incident is unacceptable. You are primarily guilty, an investigation permission has been granted for your 9 personnel, yet you continue to sit in your positions and no steps are being taken. They think this incident will be forgotten. Every day a new incident occurs in Turkey, and they think this will cool down over time, but they are mistaken. We are very determined. As the families of 78 lives lost, we are determined to continue our struggle to ensure that everyone who is at fault in this incident is punished according to their degree of fault."
"LET JUSTICE BE SERVED, LET THE APOCALYPSE COME IF IT MUST" Yüksel Gültekin stated that he decorated the city with posters saying 'Let justice be served, let the apocalypse come if it must' during the trial process, expressing his desire for justice to be served: "For the past two days, I have decorated every corner of the city with these posters: 'Let justice be served, let the apocalypse come if it must.' There is certainly a metaphor here. When does the apocalypse come? It comes when justice is not served. Because the foundation of the state is justice. We are in pursuit of justice. We sincerely wish for this justice to be served, and we continue our efforts for this. The second part of the poster says: 'O Lord, unite my martyr children with the blessed martyrs of Gaza.' Why did I write this? Because a great injustice is being experienced in Gaza in front of the eyes of the world. We hope for a fair decision regarding our children. Immediately after this statement, we expect the officials of the Ministry of Tourism to take action, just as the administrative court returned the file regarding the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. They have no chance of escape; the investigation regarding them continues. Investigations regarding former governors are also ongoing. Ultimately, we demand that everyone responsible be brought to justice and that independent courts make the appropriate decision. We are satisfied with the court's practices so far. The court patiently listens to the defendants and their lawyers. I thank them. I believe that a fair decision will be reached. Today, I particularly wanted to emphasize these two issues regarding the Ministry of Tourism." he said.
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