27.10.2025 13:42
The third hearing of the case regarding the Grand Kartal Hotel fire, which claimed the lives of 78 people, is ongoing. Serpil Gençbay, the President of the Ankara 11th Administrative Court, who lost her son Yiğit Gençbay in the fire, named three individuals and said, "They are hiding everything; they don't say a word. 60-70 corpses were waiting in truck trailers." Families shouted "Murderers!" at the defendants, tears in their eyes.
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Today, the third hearing of the case regarding the Grand Kartal Hotel fire that broke out on January 21 in Bolu's Kartalkaya Ski Resort, which resulted in the death of 78 people, injuries to 137 others, and the trial of 32 defendants, 20 of whom are in custody, is being held.
According to journalist Emrullah Erdinc's report, Serpil Gençbay, the President of the Ankara 11th Administrative Court, who lost his son Yiğit Gençbay in the Grand Kartal Hotel fire in Bolu Kartalkaya, spoke at the hearing today at the Bolu 1st Heavy Penal Court.
APPLAUSE ROSE FROM THE HALL
Gençbay, who claimed that Emine Ergül, Elif Aras, and Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu obstructed justice, said, "They are hiding everything instead of helping." Gençbay reacted by saying, "Emir Aras is being tried for possible intent, but his wife Elif Hanım is being charged with conscious negligence... While Emir Aras was escaping from his room, did Elif Hanım knock on the doors and I didn't see it, so his punishment is being reduced?" Applause rose from the hall.
"60-70 BODIES WERE WAITING IN TRUCK TRAILERS"
Gençbay continued his remarks; "The accusation has fallen to conscious negligence from possible intent. I wonder if there is a benefit from effective remorse here. But if it weren't for the prosecutor, your efforts, and our efforts, this file wouldn't even have come here. They are hiding everything, they don't open their mouths. A person's value is not worth a tablet or a piece of clothing. 60-70 bodies were waiting in truck trailers."
THEY SHOUTED "MURDERERS"
Families shouted "Murderers!" at the defendants with tears in their eyes.
3RD HEARING IN A CASE THAT SHOCKED TURKEY
In the fire that broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya Ski Resort on January 21, 78 people lost their lives, and 133 were injured. In the indictment prepared by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the incident, hotel owners, board members, and managers Halit Ergül, Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, Elif Aras, Emir Aras, Zeki Yılmaz, Ahmet Demir, Kadir Özdemir, Cemal Özer, Mehmet Salun, as well as Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, and firefighter İrfan Acar are facing a total of 1998 years in prison for 78 counts of 'Murder with possible intent' and 'Intentional injury with possible intent.'
32 DEFENDANTS ARE ON TRIAL
The indictment also requests that the technical staff of the hotel, Tahsin Pekcan, Hüseyin Özer, and Bayram Ütkü, kitchen staff Reşat Bölük, Enver Öztürk, and Faysal Yaver, occupational safety experts Kübra Demir and Ece Kayacan, reception staff Yiğithan Burak Çetin, officials of Mudurnu Energy Industry and Trade Inc. İbrahim Polat and İsmail Karagöz, FQC Global Certification Inc. official Ali Ağaoğlu and employee Aleyna Beşinci, LPG installation maintenance staff Doğan Aydın and Muharrem Şen, Bolu Provincial Special Administration Secretary Sırrı Köstereli, Bolu Provincial Special Administration Deputy Secretary Bünyamin Bal, Bolu Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Yeliz Erdoğan, and former Bolu Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Director Mehmet Özel be sentenced to up to 22 years and 6 months in prison for 'Causing the death and injury of multiple people through conscious negligence.'
THE FIRST HEARING LASTED 10 DAYS
The first hearing, which started on July 7 at the gym of Bolu Social Sciences High School and lasted for 10 days, heard all the defendants, complainants, and witnesses. In the announced interim decision, it was decided to release Faysal Yaver, the assistant breakfast chef of the hotel, with a travel ban. It was also ruled that İrfan Acar, the firefighter who was on duty at the hotel, should be arrested. The house arrest measure for İbrahim Polat, the Chairman of the Board of Mudurnu A.Ş., İsmail Karagöz, an official of Mudurnu A.Ş., Yiğithan Burak Çetin, reception staff, and Ali Ağaoğlu, the owner of FQC Inspection Company, was decided to continue. The detention status of the detained defendants was ruled to continue.
THE SECOND HEARING LASTED 2 DAYS, NUMBER OF DETAINEES INCREASED TO 20
The second hearing of the case started on September 22 and lasted for 2 days. At the end of the hearing, the court announced an interim decision regarding the detention status of the 32 defendants and judicial control measures. The court decided to continue the detention of the detained defendants, to continue the house arrest of those under house arrest, to arrest the non-detained defendant Mehmet Salun, and to continue judicial controls, and postponed the hearing.
THE 3RD HEARING HAS STARTED
The third hearing of the case started today at the gym of Bolu Social Sciences High School. Before the hearing, photos of those who lost their lives in the incident were hung on stands outside the courtroom. Those who lost their relatives and the lawyers of the parties were allowed into the hall under strict security measures. The defendants also entered the courtroom from a special area created under strict security measures.
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