26.02.2026 14:40
In the case regarding the Grand Kartal Hotel fire at the Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort, which resulted in the deaths of 78 people and injuries to 137 others on January 21, 2025, the decisions made in the trial of 32 defendants, including the hotel owner and municipal officials, have been appealed.
On January 21, 2025, in the Grand Kartal Hotel fire at Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort, where 78 people lost their lives and 137 were injured, the decisions made in the trial of 32 defendants, including the hotel owner and municipal officials, were appealed.
The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, along with the complainants and defense attorneys, appealed to the Sakarya Regional Court of Appeal regarding the convictions and acquittals issued by the Bolu 1st High Criminal Court.
The case file will be reviewed by the 1st Criminal Chamber.
COURT DECISION
The panel of the Bolu 1st High Criminal Court sentenced the detained defendants, including hotel owner Halit Ergül, hotel general manager Emir Aras, board members of the company Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, Elif Aras, and Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, hotel manager Zeki Yılmaz, Gazelle Hotel General Manager Ahmet Demir, hotel accounting manager Kadir Özdemir, Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, and firefighter İrfan Acar, to life imprisonment 34 times each for the crime of "intentional killing with probable intent" against 34 children.
Additionally, for the 44 adults who lost their lives in the fire, 11 defendants were sentenced to 24 years and 11 months in prison each for the crime of "intentional killing with probable intent," and 3 years and 12 months in prison each for the crime of "causing damage to multiple people with probable intent."
The court panel also sentenced the 11 defendants for "aggravated injury due to probable intent," "aggravated injury against a person who cannot defend themselves due to physical or mental incapacity with probable intent," "injury with probable intent," "injury against a person who cannot defend themselves due to physical or mental incapacity with probable intent," "simple injury with probable intent," "simple injury against a woman with probable intent," "simple injury against a person who cannot defend themselves due to physical or mental incapacity with probable intent," and "simple injury against a woman (girl child) who cannot defend herself due to physical or mental incapacity with probable intent."
Among these crimes, defendants Halit Ergül, Emir Aras, Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, Elif Aras, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, Zeki Yılmaz, and Ahmet Demir received a total of 41 years, 721 months, and 600 days, Kadir Özdemir, Sedat Gülener, and Kenan Coşkun received a total of 41 years, 708 months, and 590 days, and İrfan Acar received a total of 41 years, 679 months, and 560 days in prison.
The panel sentenced accounting staff Cemal Özer and Mehmet Salun to 22 years and 3 months for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with negligence," LPG maintenance personnel Doğan Aydın and Muharrem Şen, and occupational safety expert Kübra Demir to 21 years and 4 months each, kitchen staff Reşat Bölük, technical staff chief Tahsin Pekcan, technical staff Hüseyin Özer, certification company official Ali Ağaoğlu and employee Aleyna Beşinci, Mudurnu Energy Industry and Trade Inc. officials İbrahim Polat and İsmail Karagöz, Provincial Special Administration Secretary Sırrı Köstereli, Provincial Special Administration Deputy Secretary Bünyamin Bal, former Bolu Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Mehmet Özel, and Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Yeliz Erdoğan to 21 years each, and technical staff Bayram Ütkü to 18 years in prison.
The panel, which sentenced reception officer Yiğithan Burak Çetin to 12 years in prison for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with negligence," ruled for the acquittal of defendants kitchen staff Faysal Yaver and Enver Öztürk, and occupational safety expert Ece Kayacan.
The panel, which did not apply "discretionary reduction" in prison sentences, decided to continue the detention of the detained defendants, to arrest İbrahim Polat and İsmail Karagöz, to apply the judicial control measure of "not leaving the residence" for Doğan Aydın, and to continue other judicial control provisions for some defendants.
APPEAL AGAINST THE COURT DECISION
The Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requested the annulment of the prison sentences given to 10 defendants and the acquittal decisions for 2 defendants in the case related to the fire.
The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requested a ruling for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with negligence" against board members of the company Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, and Elif Aras, as well as hotel manager Zeki Yılmaz, and acquitted defendants kitchen staff Faysal Yaver and occupational safety expert Ece Kayacan.
The prosecution requested a sentence for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with negligence" for defendants Ali Ağaoğlu, an official of FQC Global Certification Inc., and employee Aleyna Beşinci, Provincial Special Administration Secretary Sırrı Köstereli, Provincial Special Administration Deputy Secretary Bünyamin Bal, former Bolu Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Mehmet Özel, and Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Yeliz Erdoğan, who were sentenced to prison for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with negligence."