78 citizens had lost their lives: Reasoned decision in the Kartalkaya case announced

The Bolu 1st High Criminal Court has announced the reasoned decision regarding the sentences given for the fire that occurred at the Grand Kartal Hotel.

The decision included an assessment that the defendants Halit Ergül, Emir Aras, Ahmet Demir, and Kadir Özdemir were in an attitude that exceeded the limits of "conscious negligence." The court stated that although the defendants had the means and authority to remedy the identified deficiencies, they acted with a "come what may" mentality, knowing that failing to urgently correct these deficiencies created a serious fire risk, and thus did not take any steps to prevent the danger.

Furthermore, it was stated that the board members, who are the owners of the hotel, were aware of the incident from the very first moment the fire broke out, yet they did not provide any notification or instructions to anyone regarding the rescue of the people inside. For this reason, it was noted that the defendants' denial-based statements were not accepted by the court.

The reasoned decision also included notable findings regarding the municipality. It was reported that although municipal officials had identified the deficiencies in the hotel, instead of following up on the resolution of these issues or reporting them to the relevant institutions, they acted in concert with the hotel management and responsible personnel, and displayed a guiding attitude in the processes regarding the cancellation of the application. The court stated that the municipality's failure to perform its duty in this matter, which is of critical importance for public safety, and instead acting in a guiding manner, was characterized as a 'grave' act.

78 people had lost their lives in the fire that broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel on January 21.

News Source: 12punto