78 citizens died in a horrific way: First hearing of the Kartalkaya fire tragedy is tomorrow
In the case regarding the fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu Kartalkaya, where 78 people lost their lives and 133 were injured, 32 defendants, 19 of whom are in custody, will appear before a judge for the first time. The trial will begin tomorrow at the Bolu 1st High Criminal Court.
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In the indictment prepared by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, prison sentences were requested for 32 defendants, including high-level officials from the Bolu Municipality and the Bolu Special Provincial Administration, on charges of "homicide with probable intent" and "intentional injury with probable intent."
The indictment includes allegations that the owners and company executives of the Grand Kartal Hotel, where the fire occurred—Halit Ergül, Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, Elif Aras, Emir Aras, Zeki Yılmaz, Ahmet Demir, Kadir Özdemir, Cemal Özer, and Mehmet Salun—as well as Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, and firefighter İrfan Acar, are "responsible due to probable intent."
78 COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED SENTENCES REQUESTED FOR 13 INDIVIDUALS
For the 13 individuals named in the file, long-term prison sentences have been requested for 78 counts of "homicide with probable intent" and "intentional injury with probable intent." Other defendants include hotel technical staff Tahsin Pekcan, Hüseyin Özer, and Bayram Ütkü, as well as kitchen staff Reşat Bölük, Enver Öztürk, and Faysal Yaver, and occupational safety specialists Kübra Demir and Ece Kayacan.
Additionally, for Bolu Special Provincial Administration Secretary General Sırrı Köstereli, Deputy Secretary General Bünyamin Bal, Licensing and Inspection Manager Yeliz Erdoğan, and Mehmet Özel, who held the same position in the previous term, prison sentences of up to 22 years and 6 months each are being sought for the crime of "causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence."
HEARING TO BE HELD IN A SPORTS HALL
Due to the high number of defendants and complainants, and the insufficiency of the existing courtrooms at the courthouse, the Bolu 1st High Criminal Court will hold the hearing in the sports hall of the Bolu Social Sciences High School. The hall, which has been converted into a temporary courtroom with a seating capacity of 700, has been equipped with security cameras and a new sound system. A dedicated internet infrastructure has been installed for access to the UYAP system.
The first hearing, which is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning at 09:00, is expected to last for one week due to high attendance.