Appeals court upholds verdict in Grand Kartal Hotel fire case

The appeals phase has been completed in the legal process initiated following the fire disaster that occurred at the Grand Kartal Hotel on January 21, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of 78 people.

The appeals court, which reviewed the objections filed by the defense attorneys against the rulings issued by the Bolu 1st High Criminal Court during the final hearing on October 31, 2025, ruled that there was no illegality in the decision and upheld the sentences.

Heavy sentences for 11 defendants for "probable intent"

At the hearing held on October 31, the detained defendants—hotel owner Halit Ergül, board members Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, Elif Aras, and Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, hotel manager Zeki Yılmaz, Gazelle Hotel General Manager Ahmet Demir, hotel accounting manager Kadir Özdemir, Grand Kartal Hotel General Manager Emir Aras, Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, and firefighter İrfan Acar—were each sentenced to 34 life terms for the crime of "homicide with probable intent" regarding the 34 children who died. The same defendants were also sentenced to 24 years and 11 months in prison for each of the 44 adults who lost their lives in the fire, under the same charge of "homicide with probable intent." The court panel sentenced hotel accounting staff Cemal Özer and Mehmet Salun to 22 years and 3 months each for "causing the death and injury of multiple people through conscious negligence," and sentenced LPG installation maintenance workers Doğan Aydın and Muharrem Şen, as well as Occupational Safety Specialist Kübra Demir, to 21 years, 4 months, and 15 days in prison each. The panel also sentenced kitchen staff member Reşat Bölük, technical staff Tahsin Pekcan and Hüseyin Özer, inspection company official Ali Ağaoğlu and employee Aleyna Beşinci, cafe operators İbrahim Polat and İsmail Karagöz, Provincial Special Administration Secretary General Sırrı Köstereli, Deputy Secretary General Bünyamin Bal, former Licensing and Inspection Manager Mehmet Özel, and Licensing and Inspection Manager Yeliz Erdoğan to 21 years each, while technical staff member Bayram Ütkü received 18 years and receptionist Yiğithan Burak Çetin received 12 years in prison.

Appeals Court upheld the decision

The outcome did not change in the case brought to the appeals court by the defense attorneys. The appeals court upheld the decisions of the Bolu 1st High Criminal Court. It was learned that in the next stage of the process, appeals regarding the decisions upheld by the appeals court will be made to the Court of Cassation.

News Source: 12punto