11.06.2025 18:36
Süleyman Çavdar, who lost his wife and three children in a fire that broke out in a 13-story apartment building in Diyarbakır, stated that he had bought a car for his wife on the day of the tragedy, wanting to surprise her. Çavdar said, "I received a phone call, my wife started coughing, she couldn't speak. My son was also shouting, 'Help, save us, we are dying.' For a minute or two, I called out 'Yusuf, Yusuf' on the phone, but he didn't respond."
In Diyarbakır, Süleyman Çavdar, who lost his wife and three children in a fire that broke out in a 13-story apartment building, said, "I received a call, my wife started coughing, she couldn't speak. My son was also shouting, 'Help, save us, we are dying.' I called out 'Yusuf, Yusuf' for a minute or two, but he didn't answer. When I hung up and called again, no one answered. My children died in the safest place, my home. I can no longer go to that house."
HE LOST HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN THE FIRE
In the apartment located on 566th Street in the Fırat neighborhood of the central Kayapınar district, a fire broke out on June 5, resulting in the deaths of mother Bircan Çavdar (36) and her children Yunus Emre (12), Elif (10), and Zeynep (4). An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
As part of the investigation, B.C., the building inspection officer, and M.A., the contractor, have been arrested. Süleyman Çavdar, who lost his family in the fire, recounted his experiences.
Çavdar stated that he was at his auto repair shop on the day of the fire and went to the garden of the site where his house is located to leave a car he bought as a surprise for his wife.
HE BOUGHT A CAR FOR HIS WIFE
Çavdar said: "When I went home with my employee, my wife was cleaning the balcony. Since I went with my own car, she saw the car and called, 'What are you doing here at this hour?' I said, 'We were going to surprise you, but we missed it; I bought you a car, and I brought it.' We left the car in the garden and went to a condolence visit with my employee. While we were at the condolence, my son called and said, 'Dad, bring us food.' He loved lahmacun. I waited for the time to pass to get lahmacun and go home in the evening coolness.
"MY WIFE STARTED COUGHING, SHE COULDN'T SPEAK"
I received a call, my wife started coughing, she couldn't speak. My son was also shouting, 'Help, save us, we are dying.' I called out 'Yusuf, Yusuf' for a minute or two, but he didn't answer. When I hung up and called again, no one answered."
Çavdar, who later called his brother to direct him to the house, stated that when he arrived at the site, the fire brigade was already there.
Çavdar noted: "I told the fire chief, 'I can't reach my children; they called me, but they are probably unconscious inside the house, in the corridor or on the stairs.' He told me, 'Call them to come out to the balcony.' I was going to tell them to come out to the balcony if they answered. Everyone was in a panic, running here and there. The machine that came was sensor-controlled, and it got locked because it hit the wall.
"I CAN NO LONGER GO TO THAT HOUSE"
By the time they brought another machine, vehicles for moving the house arrived. My brother went upstairs and said, 'They are not inside the house.' When we brought my children down after 1-1.5 hours, they had already passed away. First, they brought my daughter Zeynep, then my son Yusuf, and later my wife. They couldn't find my other daughter. Half an hour later, they brought Elif. My children died in the safest place, my home. I can no longer go to that house."
"I WILL FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE FIRE DEPARTMENT"
Çavdar, who claimed that the fire department did not intervene effectively, said: "They could only reach the 3rd floor of the building. I will file a complaint. We ended up in this situation due to the fire department's lack of training. My heart is broken; I don't want anyone else to suffer. The fire burned not only us but also the lungs of Turkey. We ruined the holiday for everyone. Our friends and relatives are all devastated. After the fire, I had to go to the site to see what happened. I saw my children's bird on the fire escape; it had also been poisoned and died. I don't know how my children died."
The family's lawyer, Faysal Okumuş, stated that they are involved in the investigation, damage assessment, and evidence collection following the fire. "Our aim is to ensure that those responsible do not go unpunished and that an effective investigation is conducted," said Okumuş, adding that they will initiate all legal applications starting tomorrow.
"A CHAIN OF NEGLIGENCE FROM START TO FINISH"
Okumuş stated, "We see a chain of negligence from start to finish. From the construction of the building, the building inspection, to the fire department's intervention in the incident. From what we can see, it wasn't a very large fire. I mean, it wasn't a fire that would cause this many deaths at all. However, we lost four lives, and our pain is still fresh. Therefore, we will provide all the legal assistance we can to the victimized family. We will also provide all assistance at the judicial and administrative level. We will do everything we can to ensure an effective investigation is conducted."