Tanju Özcan to Minister Ersoy: One of us will leave that table by resigning, and that will be the Minister

Özcan is making statements regarding the tragedy in Bolu at the Kartalkaya Ski Center, where 79 people lost their lives.

Responding to questions about the tragedy on Halk TV, here are the highlights from Özcan's statements:

"I am very sad, very angry, and very ashamed. I am very tired because I haven't even slept for two hours in the last two days. I am sad because we lost nearly 80 of our lives, and I saw these people.

I am very angry because slanders are being spread about me through the pro-government press. The ministers of this country and their hired pens are making all kinds of slanders.

I am very ashamed; I am very ashamed to be a party to such polemics while people are experiencing these pains.

Bolu is not a metropolitan city; I have explained this many times. It is not like Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, or Antalya. Bolu is a provincial municipality. There are 9 municipalities here, and we are the municipality of the central district.

That place is outside our jurisdiction; it is not our duty to inspect it. All authority, including planning and fire safety, belongs to the Ministry of Tourism.

We don't even have the chance to come to the hotel there, knock on its door, enter its kitchen, and inspect it for hygiene. We don't even have the authority to impose a penalty or keep a record.

'THEY WITHDREW THE APPLICATION'

On December 12, they requested a fire safety certificate. On December 16, our firefighter friends inspected the hotel, found 8 issues, and gave them a 15-day period.

Instead of fulfilling these, they withdrew the application on the 24th, likely because they did not want to bear the costs.

We did not issue a certificate of competence."

'LET THE 2021 AND 2024 INSPECTION REPORTS BE DISCLOSED'

Pointing out that the Grand Kartal Hotel was on the list of recommended hotels by ETS, a travel and holiday agency owned by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy until recently, Özcan said, "The Ministry says 'we inspected' in 2021 and 2024! Well, what kind of report did they prepare as a result of the inspection? I challenge them; let the Minister disclose it.

'IF THE DEFICIENCIES HAD BEEN COMPLETED...'

If the deficiencies we pointed out as a result of this inspection had been completed, these people would not have died. While our friends were waiting for the deficiencies to be corrected, they withdrew the request because they did not want to cover these costs and applied to another company. Authorization is given to a company authorized by the Ministry.

'THE FIRE DID NOT START IN THE AREA THE MUNICIPALITY DEEMED SUFFICIENT'

The municipality says there is competence for a 70-square-meter area for this partition. The fire did not start there. The fire started in the kitchen. They are portraying it as if we gave authorization for the hotel's restaurant or kitchen. Can the entire floor of a 200-room hotel be 70 square meters? We gave competence for a small partition, a cafe used by skiers. The fire did not start there; it caught fire from flames pouring down from above."

CALL TO MINISTER ERSOY

Issuing a call to Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Özcan said, "I am not a man who would lie for the sake of a seat. If I were responsible, I would resign. I am making an open call to the Minister; let him appear on a live broadcast with me on any channel he chooses, along with the documents. One of us will leave that table by resigning, and that will be the Minister. I am also addressing the President; unfortunately, this Minister is being misled and is lying. Please do not continue working with this minister," he said.

News Source: 12punto