Shocking defenses in the Kartalkaya tragedy trial! 'You've caused us trouble'

The trial continues for the fire tragedy at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu's Kartalkaya, where 78 citizens tragically lost their lives.

The hearing, held in a specially prepared hall at the Bolu Social Sciences High School sports complex by the Bolu 1st High Criminal Court, was attended by detained and non-detained defendants, those injured in the fire, relatives of the deceased, and legal counsel for both sides. On the second day of the hearing, the first defense was presented by Mehmet Özel, the former Provincial Special Administration Licensing and Inspection Manager.

Detained defendant Özel expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. Stating that the region where the hotel is located is a tourism zone, Mehmet Özel said, "It began operations after receiving its business license in 2002, and a workplace opening and operating permit was issued in 2007. The Provincial Special Administration has no inspection authority. There is no provision in the regulation stating that fire-related inspections should be conducted. If a fire department report is obtained, a workplace opening and operating permit is issued. Facilities with tourism operation certificates are inspected only by the Ministry. I have no connection to the hotel fire. I request my acquittal and release."

Responding to questions from the plaintiffs' lawyers, Özel said, "The Ministry of Culture and Tourism inspects this place. While inspections are carried out on facilities outside the tourism zone, this place was left as an overreach of authority. There are tenants in the hotel; visits were made to inspect them. These are inspections conducted according to their competencies," he said.

"HE EVEN GOT ANGRY AS WE WERE LEAVING THE ROOM, SAYING 'YOU'VE CAUSED US TROUBLE'"

Hotel accounting staff and detained defendant Cemal Özer, who stated that he accompanied firefighter and non-detained defendant İrfan Acar for the inspection upon the instructions of accounting manager and detained defendant Kadir Özdemir, said, "Acar said the corridors were not in compliance with regulations, there were no sensors or emergency exit doors in the hood system, and the emergency exit signs were not lit. He said the form he held would become a report and that his manager would speak with our manager. I took the notes I had to the company's general manager and detained defendant Emir Aras, and we explained the deficiencies. Mr. Emir looked at them, examined them, and said, 'Okay, I will talk to Kadir Özdemir.' He even got angry as we were leaving the room, saying 'You've caused us trouble.' Since there was also an inspection by ministry inspectors that day, I accompanied the fire inspection. Later, I continued with my accounting duties; I have no knowledge of the subsequent process," he said.

"NO FIRE TRAINING WAS PROVIDED, NO DRILLS WERE CONDUCTED"

Özer stated that he woke up to the smell and sounds on the day of the incident, saying, "The assistant accounting manager and non-detained defendant Mehmet Salun was next to me; I woke him up. We opened the door but could not get out due to the smoke. I was rescued from the window by fire crews. No alarm was heard during the fire. No fire training was provided, and no drills were conducted," he stated.

Following the defenses, the hearing was adjourned for 15 minutes.

FROM THE INDICTMENT

The indictment seeks up to 1,998 years in prison each for hotel owners, board members, and executives Halit Ergül, Emine Mürtezaoğlu Ergül, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, Elif Aras, Emir Aras, Ahmet Demir, Zeki Yılmaz, Kadir Özdemir, Cemal Özer, Mehmet Salun, as well as Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, and firefighter İrfan Acar, on charges of "killing with probable intent" 78 times and "intentional injury with probable intent."

Mudurnu Energy Industry and Trade Joint Stock Company officials İbrahim Polat and İsmail Karagöz, hotel technical staff 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, FQC Global Certification Joint Stock Company official Ali Ağaoğlu and his employee Aleyna Beşinci, LPG installation maintenance staff Doğan Aydın and Muharrem Şen, Provincial Special Administration Secretary General Sırrı Köstereli, Deputy Secretary General Bünyamin Bal, Licensing and Inspection Manager Yeliz Erdoğan, and former Licensing and Inspection Manager Mehmet Özel face up to 22 years and 6 months in prison each on charges of "causing the death and injury of multiple people through conscious negligence."

News Source: İHA