Shocking remarks in the Grand Kartal Hotel trial: 'My client is an idiot'

The third hearing of the case concerning the Grand Kartal Hotel fire, which occurred in Bolu in 2023 and resulted in the loss of 78 lives, continues into its third day. While the defense statements of 18 suspects and their lawyers were heard during the sessions on Monday and Tuesday, the remaining 14 suspects and their lawyers began presenting their defenses in today's hearing.

Detained suspects Kadir Özdemir, the accounting manager of the Gazelle Hotel under Grand Kartal A.Ş., accounting staff member Mehmet Salun, and assistant accounting manager Cemal Özer stated that they stand by their previous testimonies.

HARSH WORDS FROM LAWYER TO HIS CLIENT

In his defense statement, Serbülent Baykan, the lawyer for detained suspect Kadir Özdemir, stated that he was not requesting his client's acquittal and left the matter of release to the court's discretion. Lawyer Baykan's remarks drew significant attention in the courtroom.

Baykan stated, "My client is an idiot. I told him this myself. He can sue me if he wants. I am acting as his lawyer as a favor. There is clear, intentional homicide here. Conscious negligence is a bait thrown in front of us. Who inspected this hotel? The Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Even the temperature of the range hood is defined in the standards. You ate and drank without looking at any of these."

"LET THIS IDIOT STAY IN JAIL FOR A WHILE, LET HIM COME TO HIS SENSES"

Continuing his defense, Lawyer Baykan stated that he was participating in the case without any financial interest and continued his remarks as follows:

"May God punish whoever is guilty. There is intent here, it is clearly murder. Floor staff and 16 people burned to death. They even betrayed their own employees. I am not doing this for money. Upon the instructions of Emir Aras, our idiot went and applied for the cancellation of the fire department report. Let this idiot stay in jail for a while and come to his senses, and stop taking on other people's power of attorney."

While Baykan's statements caused a brief moment of astonishment in the courtroom, the court panel recorded the remarks in the minutes.

“THE INVESTIGATION WAS BIASED”

Sırrı Köstereli, the Secretary General of the Provincial Special Administration and one of the detained defendants who testified at the hearing, stated that he stood by his previous statements. Köstereli explained that the Grand Kartal Hotel opened in 1999 with a tourism operation certificate and obtained its license in 2001 after applying to the Provincial Special Administration.

Köstereli said, “The hotel was licensed by the administrators at that time after the necessary documents were provided. It was stated that inspections would be carried out solely by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Therefore, it was said, ‘You issue the license, we will conduct the inspections.’ I am not here due to negligence. Duties not defined for me in the law were imposed upon me by the inspectors.”

Touching upon the investigation process, Köstereli added, “The inspectors acted with prejudice during their investigation and proceeded with the assumption that only I would be prosecuted. I was taken into custody and arrested on the day the investigation permit was granted, even before it was officially notified to me.”