11.07.2025 10:10
The trial of the Grand Kartal Hotel fire in Kartalkaya, which claimed the lives of 78 people, is continuing on the fifth day following a scuffle that occurred while the hotel owner, Halit Ergül, was giving his defense. Before the session began, the presiding judge issued a stern warning to those in the courtroom, stating, "I will directly arrest anyone who disrupts the order of the trial. Defenses will be made in this courtroom without insults, and no one will speak without being given the floor."
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In Bolu, the first hearing of the Grand Kartal Hotel fire case, in which 78 people lost their lives, including 36 children, and 133 were injured, continues on the 5th day. The trial involves 32 defendants, 19 of whom are in custody. The hearing, which resumed after a scuffle during the defense of hotel owner Halit Ergül, will proceed with questions from the victim's lawyers to Ergül.
SEVERE WARNING FROM THE JUDGE: I WILL ARREST THOSE WHO DISTURB ORDER
According to journalist Emrullah Erdinç, the judge issued a stern warning to all parties in the courtroom before the hearing began, stating: "Yesterday, it was observed that one of the relatives of the defendant disrupted the order of the hearing. I will directly arrest anyone who disrupts the order of the hearing; I will enforce the laws. I will make disciplinary arrests. In this courtroom, defenses will be made without insults, and no one will speak without being given the floor!"
"I HAVEN'T SLEPT FOR 2.5 MONTHS"
During cross-examination at the hearing last night, when the victim's lawyer asked Ergül, "Do you have any remorse for your fault regarding the fire?" Ergül replied, "I do not want to answer." The victim's lawyer reiterated, "Are you remorseful? The families here expect you to at least say you are sorry," to which Ergül responded, "I haven't slept for 2.5 months. Doesn't a human being feel sad about this? I have no peace."
SCUFFLE IN THE COURTROOM
Later, while lawyer Yüksel Gültekin, who lost 8 relatives in the fire, was asking a question to the defendant, Halit Ergül's lawyer stated that the questions being asked were not relevant to the case. Yüksel Gültekin replied, "Am I supposed to ask my questions to you? You are intervening. I lost 8 lives." A verbal argument began between the two lawyers. While the lawyers were arguing, a dispute broke out between Halit Ergül's daughter Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu's husband and the victim's families. The argument escalated and turned into a scuffle. Police teams intervened in the fight. As the courtroom was quickly evacuated, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu's husband was also escorted out by the police. Due to the incidents that occurred, the hearing was adjourned until 09:00 the next morning.
UP TO 1998 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT SOUGHT
In the indictment prepared by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, hotel owners, board members, and managers Halit Ergül, Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, Elif Aras, Emir Aras, Zeki Yılmaz, Ahmet Demir, Kadir Özdemir, Cemal Özer, Mehmet Salun, Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, and Firefighter İrfan Acar are facing a total of up to 1998 years in prison for the crimes of 'manslaughter with probable intent' and 'intentional injury with probable intent' for 78 counts each.
REQUEST FOR 22 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS OF IMPRISONMENT
The indictment also requests that 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, reception officer 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, Bolu Provincial Special Administration Secretary Sırrı Köstereli, Bolu Provincial Special Administration Deputy Secretary Bünyamin Bal, Bolu Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Yeliz Erdoğan, and former Bolu Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Mehmet Özel be sentenced to 22 years and 6 months in prison for 'causing the death and injury of multiple persons with conscious negligence.'
FIRST HEARING STARTED ON JULY 7
For the trial, the gym located within Bolu Social Sciences High School was converted into a courtroom with a capacity of 700 people. The courtroom was equipped with state-of-the-art technology, from camera systems to infrastructure. Intense security measures were taken before the hearing, and the first hearing of the trial, which the public in Turkey has been eagerly awaiting, began on July 7. On the first day of the hearing; Gazelle Hotel Resort Manager, detained defendant Ahmet Demir, employee of the conformity assessment company FQC Global Certification Inc., non-detained defendant Aleyna B., official of the same company, non-detained defendant Ali A., technical staff non-detained defendant Bayram Ü., detained Tahsin Pekcan, detained Hüseyin Özer, and Bolu Provincial Special Administration Secretary detained Sırrı Köstereli, Deputy Secretary detained Bünyamin Bal, and Provincial Special Administration License Director detained Yeliz Erdoğan made their defenses.
THE HOTEL'S GENERAL MANAGER DEFENDED ON THE 2ND DAY
On the second day of the hearing, July 8, detained defendant Seben District Special Administration Director Mehmet Özel, Grand Kartal Hotel accounting employee detained defendant Cemal Özer, Gazelle Hotel Accounting Manager Kadir Özdemir, non-detained defendant Doğan A., who controls and maintains the hotel's gas system, detained defendant Muharrem Şen, Occupational Health and Safety Expert detained defendant Ece Kayacan, Occupational Health and Safety Expert non-detained defendant Kübra D., and detained defendant Emir Aras, General Manager of Grand Kartal A.Ş. made their defenses.
THE HOTEL OWNER DEFENDED ON THE 4TH DAY
On the third day of the hearing, July 9, the non-detained defendant Mehmet S., who worked as an accountant at the hotel, the hotel's manager Zeki Yılmaz, detained defendants Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu and Elif Aras, who are the daughters of hotel owner Halit Ergül, detained defendant Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, the hotel's chef non-detained defendant Enver Ö., and the hotel's assistant chef detained defendant Faysal Yaver made their defenses.
Yesterday, the hotel's head chef non-detained defendant Reşat B., the hotel's reception officer non-detained defendant Yiğithan Burak Ç., the owner of the café in the hotel non-detained defendant İbrahim P., the official of the café in the hotel non-detained defendant İsmail K., and the hotel owner Halit Ergül's defense was taken. Then, Halit Ergül's cross-examination began. During the cross-examination, a dispute and scuffle occurred first between the lawyers and then between the defendant and the complainants' relatives. The hearing was adjourned at 22:00 yesterday.
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