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Turkey’s tourism minister faces growing calls for resignation over deadly ski resort fire

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Following a tragic hotel fire in the popular ski resort of Kartalkaya in Turkey’s northwestern Bolu province this week, Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy is facing growing calls for his resignation from opposition politicians and others who accuse him of having failed to fulfill his duties to ensure that the hotel met fire safety regulations.

The fire erupted at around 3:30 a.m. local time Tuesday in the Grand Kartal Hotel, a 12-story ski resort popular with vacationers during Turkey’s midterm school holiday, claiming the lives of 78 people and injuring 51 others.

The blaze reportedly began in the hotel’s restaurant area and rapidly spread throughout the building, trapping many sleeping guests. The tragedy sent shockwaves across the country, with videos circulating on social media of people desperately screaming for help or jumping from windows.

The incident has brought to light significant shortcomings in the hotel’s fire safety measures, with survivors saying they heard no fire alarms or smoke detectors and saw no fire escape, sparking outrage over potential negligence by the authorities who were supposed to make sure that the hotel meets fire safety requirements.

Ersoy and Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), have accused each other of negligence in the incident. However, documents released by the pro-opposition Halk TV revealed that the ministry was primarily responsible for inspecting the hotel.

The documents indicate that the hotel owners tried to obtain a fire safety permit from the municipality in December but later withdrew their application after learning that the hotel only met one of the nine requirements. The municipality was unable to take any further action, as the authority rested with the ministry.

Considering the scale of the disaster and alleged negligence by the tourism ministry, some opposition politicians, journalists and even pro-government figures have been calling for the minister’s resignation, a call that has so far fallen on deaf ears.

The Central Executive Board (MYK) of the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) referred to the disaster as a “massacre” in a written statement on Thursday, saying the minister’s failure to resign demonstrated “a lack of political ethics.”

“A minister who feels no political responsibility toward our people should not remain in office for even a minute!” the party said.

Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) Vice Chair Mehmet Emin Ekmen said the minister should resign as a matter of “political responsibility,” while Anahtar (Key) Party leader Yavuz Ağıralioğlu argued that government officials need to learn when it is appropriate to step down.

“Things don’t get to this stage in Europe; resignation comes into play when even one-thousandth of this occurs,” Ağıralioğlu added.

Aydın Ünal, a former MP known for his close ties to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and a former chief advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, made an unexpected call for the minister’s resignation in a statement on X.

“After a disaster, at least one official should bow their head in shame,” Ünal said, adding that he does not expect Özcan to resign since he knows the mayor “lacks even the smallest amount of human values.”

Minister’s ownership of tourism agency intensifies accusations

Ersoy’s ownership of Turkey’s largest tourism agency, ETSTur, has escalated the accusations against him due to his alleged role in the tragedy. Opposition politicians have raised allegations of a conflict of interest, arguing that the minister’s dual role as both a public official and a private business owner undermines the integrity of the investigations and makes him responsible for facilitating the hotel bookings.

Erkan Baş, chairman of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), said in a news conference on Wednesday that Ersoy, as one of the largest tourism magnates in the country, sells the beds of the hotel where the fire occurred himself.

“There is a conflict of interest, a financial partnership at play. Is it reasonable for this person [Ersoy] to oversee this hotel? For the integrity of the investigation, he should resign immediately,” Baş said.

CHP deputy group chairman Ali Mahir Başarır also called for the minister’s resignation, arguing in a press statement that the minister is responsible for recommending that people stay at the hotel where the fire occurred, based on ETSTur’s app, Etstur, which gave the hotel a rating of 8.4 out of 10.

Journalist İsmail Saymaz said in his column on Thursday that Ersoy has responsibility for the fire both as a minister and as a businessman. He argued that if a connection between ETSTur and the hotel were to emerge, the minister’s resignation would not be sufficient and that he would need to be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, Özcan told Halk TV on Wednesday that if he were responsible for the fire, he would resign. He also invited Minister Ersoy to join him in a live broadcast so as to put an end to the ongoing debates about who is responsible for the disaster.

“Let’s participate in a live broadcast on the channel of your choice, a pro-government TV channel. Whoever is responsible should resign,” the mayor said, addressing Ersoy.

“The minister will be the one to resign and leave the table,” he added.

Ersoy has been the country’s tourism minister since July 2018. His appointment was met with criticism at the time due to his ownership of the country’s largest travel and tourism agency, with many warning that his company’s interests might conflict with his duties as the tourism minister.

Ersoy is also accused of having played a major role in the ban on the booking.com website in Turkey, which was imposed by a Turkish court in March 2017 for engaging in unfair competition with Turkish travel agencies.

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