Statement from İlber Ortaylı on Grand Kartal Hotel: He accused the Ministry of negligence

Renowned historian Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı made significant statements regarding the Grand Kartal Hotel fire in Kartalkaya, which resulted in the loss of 78 lives. Ortaylı reacted sharply to the opinions expressed following the tragedy regarding the demolition of the hotel and directed harsh criticisms at the authorities.

In a post on his social media account, Ortaylı described the tragedy as "an event that will be remembered with sorrow and horror not only by the Turkish public but by the world." Stating that the stories of those who lost their lives in the fire have broken everyone's hearts, Ortaylı said, "Two or three generations of many families were affected by this event; their lives were cut short."

"THEY DID NOT FULFILL THEIR INSPECTION DUTY"

Emphasizing that despite the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's claims that fire safety measures were in place, serious questions remain unanswered, Ortaylı made the following assessment:

"Was there really a fire truck present during the fire? What was the state of the measures taken? It is clearly evident that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism did not fulfill its inspection duty."

"DEMOLISHING THE HOTEL MEANS DESTROYING EVIDENCE OF A CRIME"

Reacting to the views regarding the demolition of the hotel, Ortaylı said, "Some authorities have said that by demolishing the hotel, this ominous event would be removed from a situation that spoils the view for tourists. Even discussing this is a crime. The hotel itself is the greatest piece of evidence of the crime."

Stating that the hotel must be preserved, Ortaylı used the following expressions regarding the legal process of the incident:

"The case will be heard sooner or later, expert committees will be established, and a new investigation will be conducted. We need to trust the authorities so that we can return to our lives and look to the future with hope. We believe that these matters will be taken into consideration."