11.07.2025 16:51
The courtroom in the Kartalkaya case was chaotic once again. While Halit Ergül, the owner of Grant Kartal Hotel, was making his defense, the relatives of the victims shouted slogans like "Murderer Halit!" Gendarmerie teams took security measures around the defense attorneys to prevent any possible attack. After a break in the hearing, Irfan Acar from the Bolu Municipality Fire Department, who took the stand as a defendant, suddenly fell ill and fainted while making his defense.
In the Grand Kartal Hotel fire at Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort, where 36 children and 78 people lost their lives and 133 were injured, the tension in the ongoing trial is not decreasing. During the defense of hotel owner Halit Ergül, the courtroom occasionally experiences tense moments with 32 defendants, 19 of whom are in custody.
"ARE YOU HUMAN?"
According to journalist Emrullah Erdinç, during the cross-examination of defendant Halit Ergül, victim family lawyer Yüksel Gültekin reacted sharply to the defendant's lawyers. Gültekin shouted, "Are you human?" and "Shut up!" His outburst was met with applause from the victim families present in the courtroom.
GENDARMERIE INTERVENED
Following these words, the gendarmerie took security measures around the defendant's lawyers; they surrounded them to prevent a possible attack.
"KILLER HALIT" SLOGANS IN THE COURTROOM
During this tension, the relatives of the victims in the courtroom stood up and began to chant "Killer Halit!" in unison. The room suddenly filled with anger and shouts.
"WILL YOU LIE ON 78 SOULS?"
Victim family lawyer Yüksel Gültekin continued his words: "Employees of the Ministry of Tourism come, eat and drink at your hotel... Your general manager drives them around. What they have identified: 'The laundry smells, spray the toilet...' What do you think? Will the public swallow this? Will you lie on 78 souls? Oh head of the killer gang, is this how you think? Shame on you!"
After the courtroom got out of control, the presiding judge adjourned the trial.
DEFENDANT FAINTED AT THE PODIUM, TRIAL ADJOURNED AGAIN
After the controversial break, the trial continued with the defense of defendant İrfan Acar from the Bolu Municipality Fire Department. Acar came to the defendant's podium and began to make his defense. However, he suddenly became unwell during his speech and fainted at the defendant's podium.
The first aid teams present in the courtroom quickly intervened. Following this development, the presiding judge again adjourned the trial.