Bolu court concludes 10-day hearing for hotel blaze

BOLU

A court delivered an interim ruling on July 17 in the case concerning the deadly January hotel fire in the northern province of Bolu, ordering the arrest of one firefighter.

The Jan. 21 blaze engulfed the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel at the Kartalkaya ski resort during the winter school holiday, resulting in the deaths of 78 people. The tragedy triggered widespread calls for accountability over gross negligence and safety violations.

Thirteen of the defendants face potential prison sentences of up to 1,998 years each on charges of intentional or possible intent to kill or injure.

A total of 32 witnesses testified for the first time during a round of hearings that spanned 10 days. Due to intense media interest and the large number of parties involved, the court convened in a high school gymnasium converted into a courtroom, where the panel of judges announced its interim decisions on July 17.

The court ruled firefighter İrfan Acar be taken into custody, ordered the release of kitchen staff member Faysal Şahin under judicial supervision and placed İbrahim Polat — the owner of a cafe at the hotel premise — under house arrest.

The pretrial arrest of the hotel’s owners and general managers remains in effect, with the second round of hearings scheduled for Sept. 22.

On July 17, the judge asked defendants to state their positions on release requests. Hotel owner Halit Ergül declared that he was in no condition to defend himself and would instead submit a written statement. His wife and daughters, who also served on the hotel’s board of directors, petitioned the court for their release.

In a recent session, surveillance footage was shown of the hotel’s general manager, Emir Aras — who is also the owner's son-in-law — leaving the building with his family at the very outset of the fire without alerting anyone.

“I am deeply sorry for the pain caused. I carry immense regret. I am not requesting release. I acknowledge my fault, though I had no malicious intent,” Aras told the court.