The owner of the hotel that collapsed in the earthquake has been sentenced to prison.

In Kahramanmaraş, a verdict hearing was held regarding the collapse of the Arıkan Hotel, where 14 people lost their lives in the earthquakes on February 6, 2023.

During the verdict hearing of the case held at the Kahramanmaraş 3rd Heavy Penal Court, the complainants and the attorneys of the parties were present. The defendants, building owner Adnan Arıkan, static project author Osman Polat Yalçın, and architectural project author A.Ş. were not present at the hearing.

ATTORNEYS REQUESTED ACQUITTAL

Gülsüm Çalışkan, a complainant who lost her husband in the collapsed hotel, requested that the defendants receive the maximum penalty. The defense attorneys argued that their clients had no faults regarding the building's collapse and requested a more comprehensive expert report, seeking the acquittal of their clients.

PRISON SENTENCE

The court panel sentenced building owner Adnan Arıkan to 9 years, 5 months, and 10 days in prison for the crime of "causing death and injury by negligence," and static project author Osman Polat Yalçın to 7 years, 9 months, and 10 days in prison. The panel decided to separate the case regarding architectural project author A.Ş., who has a report indicating a lack of criminal responsibility.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had filed a case against the defendants at the 3rd Heavy Penal Court for the crime of "causing death and injury by negligence."