14.07.2025 12:31
The trial regarding the Grand Kartal Hotel fire, which claimed the lives of 78 people and injured 133 others, is ongoing on its 8th day. Gülşen Boncuk, who lost her daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren in the fire, spoke through tears, saying, "Look into my eyes. I want you not to die; every day, moan, 'We are the murderers of 78 people.'"
The first hearing of the case regarding the hotel fire in Bolu, which claimed the lives of 78 people, continues on the 8th day with 19 defendants in custody and 32 defendants being tried. In today's hearing, the complainants and witnesses are being heard.
In the fire that broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel located in Kartalkaya Ski Resort on January 21, 78 people lost their lives, and 133 people were injured. In the indictment prepared by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office as part of the investigation initiated after 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, Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, and Firefighter İrfan Acar are facing a total of 1998 years in prison for the crimes of 'manslaughter with probable intent' and 'intentional injury with probable intent', with 78 counts each.
32 DEFENDANTS ARE BEING TRIED 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, receptionist 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 the crime of causing the death and injury of multiple people through conscious negligence.
THE FIRST HEARING STARTED ON JULY 7 The gym located within Bolu Social Sciences High School was converted into a courtroom for the trial, accommodating 700 people. The courtroom was equipped with the latest technology, from camera systems to infrastructure. Intense security measures were taken before the hearing, and the first hearing of the case began on July 7. In the first 7 days of the hearing, all defendants and some of the complainants and witnesses were heard.
"YOU TOOK OUR LIFE RESOURCES" The 8th day of the hearing began with the testimonies of the complainants. Gülşen Boncuk, who lost her dentist daughter Yasemin Tüzgiray (41), son-in-law Erhan Tüzgiray (48), and grandchildren Defne (11) and Demir Tüzgiray (8) in the fire, started her speech in tears, saying to the defendants, "Look into my eyes." Gülşen Boncuk said, "I want to look into the eyes of those responsible. My son, my daughter-in-law, and my two grandchildren died. Look into my eyes. You cannot leave people to burn while you save yourselves. I want you not to die; every day, do not die saying, 'We are the murderers of 78 people,' moan. Dying is cleanliness. We will never see our children again. Will I never see my little lambs, my children again? You took our life resources," she said.
Erhan-Yasemin Tüzgiray with their children Defne and Demir "I SAW THAT THE 4TH FLOOR WAS COMPLETELY BURNED" Şenol Güven (44), who worked as the ski room supervisor at the hotel, testified as a witness. Güven, who stated that he was staying in room 349 at the time of the fire, said, "I am responsible for the ski room. I was in the room at the time of the fire. My friend next to me woke me up, saying, 'There is a fire.' I quickly got up and went outside through the ski exit. When I came out, I saw that the 4th floor was completely burned. There was a ladder on the right side of the hotel. I saw Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, who had a foreign assistant. I also saw Emir Aras there. We helped rescue 20 people with the ladder. We tried to assist the injured. I did not hear an alarm, and no fire drill was conducted. There was no occupational safety expert. The hotel did not have a sprinkler system," he said.
"I DON'T REMEMBER HOW I GOT OUT" Tahsin Öztürk (57), who worked in the laundry, also testified as a witness. Öztürk, who said he did not know how he got outside, stated, "I was sleeping when they said, 'There is a fire.' I took a towel from the laundry, and I couldn't go up to the upper floors. I tried to help people by going outside. I don't remember how I got outside. When I came out, I saw Halit Ergül's daughters," he said.
"I HEARD THAT THE FIRE ALARMS WERE TURNED OFF BECAUSE PEOPLE SMOKED IN THE ROOMS" Tuni Urhan, who was responsible for the minibars in the rooms at the hotel, claimed that he heard hotel manager Zeki Yılmaz saying during the early moments of the fire, "Don't tell anyone, let's handle it among ourselves," stating, "I was responsible for the drinks on the 9th and 12th floors. I was staying on the floor where the ski room was on the night of the incident. My father also worked in the laundry. After a while, we met with my father and moved to the front of the hotel. When I went outside, it was around 03:00. I did not hear a fire alarm, and I did not see a fire extinguisher or sprinkler system. No fire training was given, and no drill was conducted. As far as I know, there was no occupational safety expert. I heard that the fire alarms were turned off because people smoked in the rooms. Kadir Özdemir hired me. When I went to the front, there were a few people. Among the staff, it was being talked about that Zeki said, 'Don't tell anyone, let's handle it among ourselves.' I also heard that Zeki sent a few staff members to the garage," he said.