Kartalkaya fire: Investigation block for Ministry of Culture officials

An expert report on the fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu highlighted the inadequate oversight by officials from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. However, Minister Nuri Ersoy did not grant permission for an investigation into the ministry officials.

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In the expert report prepared regarding the fire that occurred at the Grand Hotel in Bolu Kartalkaya, the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requested permission from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to investigate officials, citing the assessment that "officials of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, who issued and approved the hotel's operating license, were primarily responsible due to their failure in oversight processes regarding the incident under investigation."

However, Minister of Culture and Tourism Nuri Ersoy did not grant permission for an investigation on June 17 into Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Nadir Alpaslan, General Manager of Investments and Enterprises at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Neşe Çıldık, former General Manager of Investments and Enterprises Şennur Aldemir Doğan, former Deputy General Manager of Investments and Enterprises at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bülent Çınar Çavuş, Department Head Elçin Şimşek Öncü, Deputy General Manager of Investments and Enterprises and Acting Head of the Board of Controllers Levent Kırcan, Chief Controllers Ramazan Alkan, Melda Araz, Şule Aktürk Alkan, Barış Başayvaz, and former Trainee Controllers Ezgi Dener and Abdülkadir Eren, in accordance with Law No. 4483 on the Prosecution of Civil Servants and Other Public Officials.

BOLU PROVINCIAL SPECIAL ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS HAD ALSO STATED 'OVERSIGHT IS WITH THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE'

All officials of the Provincial Special Administration affiliated with the Bolu Governorship, who are suspects in the case within the scope of the indictment, asserted that oversight was under the authority of the Ministry of Culture.

Suspect Yeliz Erdoğan, who served as the Licensing and Inspection Manager at the Provincial Special Administration, also stated in her testimony, "Although the letter sent by the Ministry in 2021 requested the renewal of the tourism operating license, no notification was made regarding fire safety measures, even though an inspection was required for the renewal."