29.10.2026 21:12
Former Ekinci Mayor Seyfettin Yeral and Director of Public Works Mehmet Ezer have been included in the Rönesans Residence case, in which 275 people died in the February 6 earthquakes in Hatay. At the hearing at the Hatay 3rd High Criminal Court, the detention of the 3 detained defendants was continued, and the case was adjourned to November 30.
News: Mehmet OFLAZ(ANKARA) -
Seyfettin Yeral, the then Mayor of Ekinci, and Director of Public Works Mehmet Ezer, against whom an indictment was prepared and a case was filed, have also been included in the case regarding the deaths of 275 people as a result of the collapse of Rönesans Rezidans in the February 6 earthquakes in Hatay. At the hearing held today at the Hatay 3rd High Criminal Court, it was decided that the detention of the 3 detained defendants would continue, and the case was adjourned to November 30.
As a result of the collapse of Rönesans Rezidans, built by ANTİS Yapı and sold with the slogan "A corner of heaven," in the February 6 earthquakes in the Antakya district of Hatay, 275 people, including Hatayspor footballer Christian Atsu, Hatayspor Sporting Director Taner Savut and national handball player Cemal Kütahya, lost their lives, and 13 people were injured. The bodies of Devrim Öztürk, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Representative in Hatay, and some citizens could not be recovered from the rubble.
The Hatay Chief Public Prosecutor's Office filed a case against the defendants Mehmet Yaşar Coşkun, Hüseyin Yalçın Coşkun, Ayhan Karan, Mehmet Haşim Eraslan, Bülent Seküçoğlu, Önder Artun, Bayram Mansuroğlu and İbrahim Dahıroğlu for the crime of "causing the death of more than one person by conscious negligence." At the hearing on July 11 last year, it was shared that the defendants Önder Artun and Hüseyin Yalçın Coşkun had died, and the number of defendants had dropped to 6.
FORMER MAYOR AND DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS BECAME DEFENDANTS
The case, in which 6 defendants, 3 of whom are detained, are being tried, continued at the Hatay 3rd High Criminal Court. At today's hearing, it was announced that the files of the then Mayor of Ekinci, Seyfettin Yeral, and Director of Public Works Mehmet Ezer, against whom a case was filed for the crime of "causing death and injury by negligence" regarding the collapse of the building, were also merged with the case being heard.
The detained defendants Mehmet Yaşar Coşkun, Mehmet Haşim Eraslan and Bülent Seküçoğlu attended the hearing from the prisons where they are held, while the non-detained defendant Ayhan Karan attended via SEGBİS from the province where he is located. The non-detained defendant İbrahim Dahıroğlu and two public officials, as well as those who lost their relatives in the earthquake and the parties' lawyers, were present in the courtroom.
FORMER MAYOR DID NOT ACCEPT THE ACCUSATIONS
At the hearing, first, within the scope of the merged file, the defenses of the non-detained defendants Seyfettin Yeral and Director of Public Works Mehmet Ezer were taken.
Defendant Yeral stated that he served as mayor between 1999 and 2014 and said that during his term he did not conduct examinations of static projects and that they received support and opinions from technical personnel before issuing permits. Yeral, stating that they did not approve permits for problematic or troubled constructions, argued that the inspections during the project and construction phases were carried out by the Director of Public Works and that as mayor he had no duty over the projects. Yeral did not accept the accusations, claiming that he had no fault in the collapse of the building.
Mehmet Ezer, the then Director of Public Works of Ekinci Municipality, claimed that the indictment had not reached him and requested time from the court panel for his defense.
DETENTION OF 3 DEFENDANTS WILL CONTINUE
Those who lost their relatives in the earthquake also demanded that the defendants receive the heaviest penalty. The complainants' lawyers requested that additional defense be taken from the defendants on the charge of "possible intent."
Detained defendant Mehmet Yaşar Coşkun, claiming that he had been in prison for more than 3 years and was a victim, alleged that he had no fault in the structure and requested his release, while the other defendants also denied the accusations against them.
The court panel decided that the defendants' current status would continue and that the other deficiencies would be remedied, and adjourned the hearing to November 30.