04.09.2026 00:30
In the case regarding the flood that occurred in 2023 in the İğneada town of the Demirköy district of Kırklareli, where 6 people lost their lives at a campsite determined to be operating without a license, the business owner was sentenced to 18 years in prison, 2 defendants were each sentenced to 7 years and 6 months, and one defendant was acquitted.
Following the Court of Cassation's reversal decision, the detained defendant Bülent B., who is being tried for "causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence," and relatives of those who lost their lives, Safiye Yaşa, Kadir Yaşa, Mehmet Han Yaşa, Emine Solmaz, and Çiçek Dinç, attended the retrial hearing at the Kırklareli 2nd Heavy Penal Court.
PROSECUTOR REQUESTED SEPARATE PUNISHMENTS
The defendants not under detention, Cenan A., Sevcan U., and Büşra G., connected to the hearing via the Audio and Visual Informatics System (SEGBİS).
The hearing began with the reading of reports submitted to the court. After listening to the requests of the plaintiffs and defendants, the public prosecutor presented their opinion on the merits of the case.
The prosecutor requested that defendants Bülent B, Büşra G, Cenan A., and Sevcan U. be separately punished for "intentional homicide" against Ahmet Baki Şimşek, Selman Bağışlar, Ümit Solmaz, Rahile Şimşek, Mihriban Bağışlar, and Suna Duman, who lost their lives, and for "intentional injury" against Kerem Şimşek, Hüseyin Duman, and Mila Duman, who survived the flood with injuries.
The opinion also requested the continuation of Bülent B's detention and the arrest of the other defendants upon the verdict.
After the plaintiffs and their lawyers presented their statements regarding the opinion, the defenses of the defendants were taken.
"I AM NOT A MURDERER"
The detained defendant Bülent B argued that he could not have foreseen the flood disaster and that he was innocent. During the defense, a verbal argument broke out between Bülent B. and the plaintiff Çiçek Dinç, leading to a recess in the hearing. During this time, an argument also occurred between the plaintiff Mehmet Han Yaşa and the defense lawyers. Yaşa claimed that a lawyer pushed him and filed a complaint with the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Continuing his defense after the recess, Bülent B. said, "I am not a murderer. How could I kill people? I swear I am innocent. I could not have foreseen such a disaster."
Bülent B., who claimed he did not break the seal on the facility and that the demolition decision was not communicated to him, stated that he himself had stayed at the facility the day before the incident.
The defendant Büşra G., on the other hand, argued that her managerial role was only on paper and requested her acquittal.
Defendants Cenan A. and Sevcan U. also presented their defenses against the prosecutor's opinion.
DETENTION WILL CONTINUE
The court panel sentenced defendant Bülent B to 18 years in prison for "causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence" and decided to continue his detention.
The panel sentenced defendants Cenan A. and Büşra G. to 7 years and 6 months each for the same crime and ruled that the judicial control measures against them would continue. A verdict of acquittal was decided for defendant Sevcan U. Following the hearing, relatives of those who lost their lives held a press statement in front of the courthouse.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The heavy rainfall that affected the Demirköy district on September 5, 2023, caused flooding and stream overflows in the İğneada town. As a result of the Değirmen Stream overflowing, bungalows in the camp area reached by the floodwaters were swept away, and 6 of the 12 people staying at the facility were rescued.
During search and rescue efforts, the lifeless bodies of Rahile Şimşek, Suna Duman, Ümit Solmaz, Selman Bağışlar, Mihriban Bağışlar, and Ahmet Baki Şimşek were found. Following the investigation conducted by the Demirköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a lawsuit was filed against the facility officials.
On November 8, 2024, the Kırklareli 2nd Heavy Penal Court sentenced facility owner Bülent B. to 11 years and 3 months for "causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence," and defendants Cenan A. and Büşra G. to 7 years and 6 months each, while acquitting Sevcan U.
APPEAL AND JUDICIAL PROCESS
The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Tekirdağ Regional Court of Justice overturned the decision, citing that the sentence given to Bülent B. was not proportionate to the severity of the incident, that some witnesses had not been heard before the court, and that hard disks containing camera footage of the scene should be examined, and sent the file back to the local court.
In the retrial following the reversal decision, the Kırklareli 2nd Heavy Penal Court, on October 16, 2025, sentenced Bülent B. to 18 years and Cenan A. and Büşra G. to 7 years and 6 months each, and ordered the acquittal of Sevcan U.
The 12th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, however, overturned the decision, finding it unlawful to continue the trial and render a verdict without ensuring that objections to the judges' recusal were examined according to the procedure prescribed by law. The Chamber decided that the case file should be sent back to the Kırklareli 2nd Heavy Penal Court for retrial.