The most senior employee of Grand Kartal Hotel: I don't know how the fire alarm works.

14.07.2025 12:01

The trial regarding the Grand Kartal Hotel, where 78 people lost their lives due to a chain of negligence in a fire that broke out in Bolu, is ongoing on its 8th day. Witness Adem Güven, who stated that he has been working at the hotel for over 25 years and only received instructions from Halit Ergül, said, "There are fire alarm buttons. I know the equipment in the kitchen and restaurant, but I haven't used them. I don't know how they work."

In the Grand Kartal Hotel fire in Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Center, which resulted in the deaths of 78 people and injuries to 133 others, the trial of 32 defendants, including the hotel owner and municipal officials, continues on its 8th day.

The hearing is being held in a specially created hall in the gymnasium of Bolu Social Sciences High School by the Bolu 1st Heavy Penal Court, where witnesses are being heard. One of the witnesses heard yesterday, Recai Yamantürk, stated that he worked as the laundry manager at the hotel. He expressed that he was sleeping in room 303 on the 3rd floor with his friends from the laundry when the fire broke out, saying, "We heard a noise and woke up. We thought there was a fight. When I opened the door and looked, I saw smoke. I told my friends that something was probably burning. We all went outside together."

"THE LAST FIRE DRILL WAS CONDUCTED 5-6 YEARS AGO"

Yamantürk noted that there were 3 rooms on his floor, stating, "When I woke up, it was around 03:15 to 03:30. We left the hotel at 03:30. We went from the corridor to the garage and then outside. When I got to the parking lot, the door was open. I didn't see who it was. I didn't see anything related to vehicle removal there." He also recalled that the last fire drill at the hotel was conducted 5-6 years ago, saying, "A fire response team was not established. I don't know if there was an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) expert. I don't know if someone was checking the kitchen at night; I never went there."

Witness Gürkan Oskan, who has been working as an electrical personnel responsible for the chairlifts at Kartal AŞ for 2.5 years, stated, "That night, I woke up to shouting around 03:30. I was staying in the Kartal AŞ dormitory. They were saying there was a fire. I went to the gendarmerie teams and asked, 'Is there anything I can help with?' I handed over the snowmobile to the teams, and then they moved me away."

"WE REMOVED THE VEHICLES FROM THE GARAGE IN THE EARLY MORNING"

Oskan pointed out that the electrical responsible persons of the Grand Kartal Hotel are detained defendant Hüseyin Özer and non-detained defendant Bayram Ütkü, indicating that he received orders from Ütkü. He explained that he went to that area to help remove the vehicles from the garage that night, saying, "I tried to enter the garage that night, but I couldn't because of the smoke. I tried to help remove the vehicles, but I couldn't get in. In the early morning, I evacuated with the stretcher behind the engine, and we removed the vehicles from the garage."

Oskan stated that he did not know in detail who was responsible for the maintenance of the electric kitchen appliances.

"I WAS NOT GIVEN FIRE TRAINING"

Witness İsmail Güney, who worked as a pasta chef in the hotel's kitchen, said he had been working at Grand Kartal Hotel for 2 years. He stated that he was in room 302 on the 3rd floor at the time of the fire, saying, "The friends who stayed with me woke me up. Since my ears are hard of hearing, when the kids opened the door, I smelled smoke. The kids said there was a fire. I was not given fire training. I don't know if a Fire Response Team was established. I haven't seen an OHS expert."

Güney noted that if there were meals that needed to be cooked in the restaurant's Show area during the night, the devices were turned on, but otherwise, the working times of the devices there were uncertain. He expressed that he was not aware of when the grill plate device, which caused the fire, was on or off, saying, "I don't work in that section; I work in the kitchen. The non-detained defendant Reşat Bölük is responsible for the kitchen. There is a different team responsible for cleaning. The non-detained defendant Enver Öztürk only makes hot meals. He is not responsible for the device that caused the fire; he only makes hot meals."

Kadir Çelik, who works as an electrician at Gazelle Hotel, stated that he has never worked at Grand Kartal Hotel. He explained that Hüseyin Özer, Bayram Ütkü, and Bahadır Özkuru worked as electricians at Grand Kartal, adding that detained defendant Tahsin Pekcan also worked at Gazelle Hotel but went to Kartalkaya for minor repairs.

Çelik pointed out that 10-15 people working at Gazelle Hotel work at Grand Kartal Hotel during the winter season, saying, "I don't know who determines those people. Hüseyin Özer was working at Grand Kartal. After he retired, he started working at Gazelle. But during the winter season, he was working at Grand Kartal."

Ergün Aydoğan, who is responsible for the staff cafeteria, stated that he was in the hotel at the time of the fire and that he woke up and left the hotel when a person working as a baker was hitting the walls and saying, "Anyone who loves their life should get out." He expressed that they encountered dense smoke when they went out into the corridor, saying, "We couldn't see in front of us. We exited from the entrance of the vehicles. In the parking lot, there were working staff, kitchen staff, and friends from the floors. The door was closed; we opened it. The electricity was cut off; there were about 10 of us who opened the door."

STRIKING STATEMENTS FROM AHMET GÜVEN, WHO WORKED AT THE HOTEL FOR 25 YEARS

Adem Güven, who stated that he worked at Grand Kartal Hotel for 25 years until his retirement in 2022, said that he started working at Gazelle Hotel after his retirement. He explained that he only received instructions from Halit Ergül, sharing various information about Grand Kartal Hotel. Güven expressed that he did not know whether fire training was given in the last 2 years, saying, "There are fire alarm buttons. I know the devices in the kitchen and restaurant, but I haven't used them. I don't know how they work. Reşat was responsible for the kitchen."

Yaman stated that detained defendant Zeki Yılmaz called him, saying, "Where are you, we are burning." He mentioned that a fire drill was conducted in front of the garage one month before the fire. "The garage is a shared garage of two hotels. We, as drivers, participated. There were staff from Kartal Hotel. They told us, 'There is a drill, come.' So we went. About 30-40 people participated in the drill," he said. Yaman claimed that he went to the hotel about half an hour later, stating, "There was one fire truck. The vehicles couldn't approach; we took the vehicles with a forklift and got the fire truck in. We were responsible for the machinery and equipment. There are 6 of us working in the garage. They all went out to help the fire truck at that moment."

He also mentioned that after the fire, he took the machinery and equipment from the garage to prevent them from being left outside, saying, "The excavators are currently in front of my house, not in a hidden place. They have normal maintenance every year; this year, after the fire, I took them down so that the vehicles wouldn't be left outside. There are 2 excavators, 3 piste machines, 1 unimog, and 1 truck.

He spoke as follows.

Mustafa Yılmaz, the accounting staff of Gazelle Hotel, stated that Ahmet Demir is the general manager, Emir Aras is the general coordinator, and Kadir Özdemir is the accounting manager. Yılmaz mentioned that he learned about the fire through a phone call from Kadir Özdemir, saying, "Kadir Bey called me around 03:30 at night. Then we set off together. On the way, we also called Adem Güven. Kadir Bey did not call anyone else. I called three crane companies," he said.

Yılmaz reported that a company named FQC Global Certification Inc. conducted an audit at the Grand Kartal Hotel regarding sustainable tourism, stating, "We had the consulting company prepare the file. We entered the audit with the same file in the second year. We only updated the statistical information. First, the folder was examined. Then, a field audit was conducted. I did not participate in the field audit. The documents related to the audit were prepared by the consulting company recommended by FQC Global Certification Inc.," he said.

"THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATION DID NOT AUDIT GAZELLE HOTEL EITHER"

In response to the question of whether the officials from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism conducted an audit, Yılmaz answered: "I remember that the Ministry of Tourism went to Kartalkaya in 2011 or 2012. They had requested information from Gazelle about a year ago. I do not know whether the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has audited before. The Special Administration did not audit Gazelle Hotel either."

Elevator technician Bilal Ulusoy provided information about the working systems of the elevators. Ulusoy, who stated that he is a maintenance technician, reported that they have been performing the maintenance of the Grand Kartal Hotel since 2019.

Cemal Yılmaz, who serves as a health technician in the inspection commission established within the Provincial Special Administration License and Inspection Directorate, stated that they control the inspections after the licenses for opening workplaces are granted. Yılmaz, who noted that they specifically conduct inspections for unlicensed operations, said, "These are not normal inspections. The Special Administration does not normally inspect the places it grants licenses. We conducted inspections regarding unlicensed operations at Grand Kartal. Since my duty is a health officer, I prepared the relevant report in my field. I have participated in inspections in 2011, 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024."

Yılmaz also emphasized that they do not conduct inspections related to fires, stating, "We do not have personnel to conduct inspections in this regard. We also do not have the authority to establish a fire department. Those who have signatures in the inspections conducted at the hotel have accompanied us. But I do not remember who they were."

Yılmaz mentioned that he is aware of an inspection application regarding a business named White Fox but stated that he does not know the person who applied, saying, "A fire report was requested for the entire building. The detained suspect Yeliz Erdoğan stated that the fire report needs to be obtained. She requested a report to be obtained for the hotel."

In the hearing that took place the day before, the court rejected the objections of the lawyers of the defendants, who were given a judicial control decision of "not to leave the residence," including the officials of Mudurnu Energy Industry and Trade Inc., İbrahim Polat and İsmail Karagöz, the official of FQC Global Certification Inc., Ali Ağaoğlu, and the receptionist Yiğithan Burak Çetin, due to the ongoing nature of the trial, the fact that not all evidence has been collected, and the presence of witnesses, victims, and complainants who have not been heard.