22.09.2025 20:40
Yüksel Gültekin, who lost 8 relatives in the hotel fire in Kartalkaya, stated in court that Sedat Gülener was promoted to the position of deputy mayor without merit. Gültekin noted that Sedat Gülener is related to Tanju Özcan, saying, "Unfortunately, I learned that he is her nephew."
Yüksel Gültekin, who lost 8 of his relatives in the hotel fire in Kartalkaya, stated in the hearing that the detained defendant, Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, is a relative of Tanju Özcan.
In the hotel fire tragedy that occurred in Kartalkaya, 78 people lost their lives, and 133 people were injured. The second hearing regarding the fire disaster at the Grand Kartal Hotel began today.
DEFENDANTS IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE FOR THE SECOND TIME
32 defendants, 19 of whom are detained, appeared before the judge for the second time. In the second session, 4 new victims and their indictments were included in the case file. Lawyer Yüksel Gültekin, who lost his son Bilal Gültekin, his daughter-in-law Zehra Sena Gültekin, Rumeysa Gültekin, Yusuf Sinanettin Gültekin, Muhammet Selim Gültekin, Bekir Sadık Gültekin, Enes Gültekin, and Sümeyye Güner in the fire tragedy, made statements to the press.
CRITICISM OF THE DEPUTY MAYOR'S COMPETENCE
Gültekin stated that Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener previously worked for a private company and was appointed as deputy mayor without merit due to his familial connection with Tanju Özcan, saying, "The surprising event of today is this; as a result of the inquiry made regarding Bolu Municipality Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, it was revealed that he was the person in charge of a group of 20 people working privately for Bolu Municipality before Tanju Özcan became mayor."
"HE ROSE WITH TANJU ÖZCAN"
In other words, he was not a municipal employee, but an employee of a private company. It was revealed that with Tanju Özcan becoming mayor, he showed a rise far beyond merit and education, and that five directorates, including the fire department, were assigned to him, and he became the deputy mayor," he said.
"IT WAS REVEALED THAT SEDAT GÜLENER IS TANJU ÖZCAN'S COUSIN"
Noting that Sedat Gülener is related to Tanju Özcan, Gültekin said, "As a result of our persistent questions, when I asked whether he had any kinship with Tanju Özcan, I unfortunately learned that he is the son of his aunt. This was an important piece of information that had not been reflected in the media until today. It is a clear indication of the corruption in society. I leave the judgment on this matter to the public.
It has been revealed that Sedat Bey, who is one of the main perpetrators of this incident and the person in charge of municipal personnel, is the son of Tanju Bey's aunt. Of course, you might say that this does not make him look bad. If his education allowed it, and if his career and experience in the municipality permitted it, this would be a normal rise and would be respected. Being a relative is not a crime. But having someone who served as a bus attendant, so to speak, as a bus steward, come and be made the deputy mayor is not a way for us to progress in Turkey. When we evaluate this incident comprehensively, we must accept that we are facing a serious situation," he stated.
"I DO NOT EXPECT A DECISION IN THIS SESSION"
Yüksel Gültekin, who stated that he does not expect a decision in this session, said, "The hearing will probably continue from where it left off. I estimate it may last another day or two, and it might even extend to the third day. It is likely that the complainants' and defendants' lawyers will be given the floor to make statements against the opinion given on the merits. I do not expect a decision in this session. Perhaps a decision date can be determined according to the court's schedule in 15 days," he expressed.