New scandals continue to emerge in the Bolu Kartalkaya hotel fire: The hotel manager was not actually a manager... 'Son-in-law quota' allegations

The statements by the hotel management attempting to evade responsibility regarding the hotel fire in Kartalkaya, which claimed the lives of 78 people, are drawing backlash. Zeki Yılmaz, known as the "hotel manager," claimed in his prosecutor's testimony that he was not actually the manager.

Stating that he appears as a receptionist in official records, Yılmaz said, "I have been working at the hotel since 1988, but I have no signature authority or responsibility."

HE SAVED HIMSELF FIRST DURING THE FIRE

Yılmaz, who said he was sleeping in his room on the 9th floor of the hotel during the fire, stated that he woke up to noises and a phone call, and that he went down the stairs to the ground floor and moved away from the hotel. However, it drew attention that Yılmaz chose to flee directly instead of waking up the guests in other rooms.

THE GENERAL MANAGER HAD ALSO FLED

It was revealed that the hotel's general manager, Emir Aras, who was arrested after the fire, acted in a similar manner.

In his testimony, Aras explained that employees warned him by phone and that he fled without being able to press the fire alarm. When asked how he became the general manager, he said, "I took charge of the hotel because I am a son-in-law."

Aras said that the hotel was inspected by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on December 15, 2024, but that he did not know whether the municipality had conducted any inspections.

The owners of the hotel include Halit Ergül, Emine Murtezaoğlu Ergül, Elif Aras, and Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu. It was revealed that Emir Aras is married to one of the partners and therefore took the general manager's seat.

Another partner who was at the hotel during the fire, Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu, made posts on social media after the incident describing how she survived.