Thirty-two defendants went on trial in Turkey on Monday over a fire at a luxury ski resort hotel in January that killed 78 people, including 36 children, local media reported.
Entire families perished when the huge blaze swept through the Grand Kartal Hotel in the northern mountain resort of Kartalkaya in the early hours of January 21.
The tragedy sent shockwaves across the country, with videos circulating on social media of people desperately screaming for help or jumping from windows and the hotel becoming a symbol of what critics say is the country’s dangerous mix of poor oversight, lax building standards and political negligence.
Questions have multiplied about fire safety measures at the hotel, with victims’ families alleging that negligence contributed to the high death toll.
More than 130 people were injured, and the 12-story building was destroyed.
Thirteen of the defendants — including senior officials at the hotel, the fire department and the city council — face up to 1,998 years in prison each on 78 charges, including “manslaughter with possible intent” to kill.
Leaders from across Turkey’s political spectrum attended the opening day of the trial, including Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel, Democrat Party Chairman Gültekin Uysal, Victory Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ and Anahtar (Key) Party Chairman Yavuz Ağıralioğlu. Also present were members of the Turkish Parliament’s inquiry committee on the Kartalkaya fire, led by ruling Justice and Development Party lawmaker Selami Altınok.
Survivors and experts have said the hotel’s fire alarm system did not work.
According to the indictment, the suspects facing manslaughter charges include the hotel’s owner, managers and members of the board, the deputy mayor of Bolu city and two fire department officials.
Before the hearing, victims’ families gathered outside Bolu High School, where the trial is taking place, carrying portraits of the deceased.
They read out a statement, alleging countless breaches of safety regulations and attempts to conceal evidence.
“During the fire, the owners, managers and employees of the Grand Kartal Hotel failed to alert guests or activate the alarm system.
“They rushed to save their cars while our loved ones were suffocating in the smoke.
“An inspection report drawn up just one month before the fire clearly showed a lack of fire safety measures, but the hotel owners ignored it on the grounds that the measures would be too costly to implement.
“We know that the authorities turned a blind eye to this negligence, that evidence was concealed and that the camera recordings were deleted,” they said.
At the time of the fire, the Tourism Ministry and the Bolu City Council blamed each other for the disaster.
Former AKP MP calls for prosecution of ministry staff
Mehmet Güner, a former AKP lawmaker who lost eight relatives in the fire including his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, took to the floor before the trial began. “I believe in the individualization of guilt,” he said after removing his lawyer’s robe to speak as a bereaved father. “The defendants here are only part of the problem. Ministry officials, especially from tourism and labor, are equally responsible and must be prosecuted.”
Güner criticized Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who denied permission to investigate the ministry staff allegedly involved.
Civil society demands accountability
Emin Koramaz, chair of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), called the fire “not just a tragedy, but the result of a chain of institutional neglect.” He pointed to longstanding failures in inspections, licensing and fire safety regulations. “This disaster, like many others in Turkey’s mines, shipyards and factories, reflects a system that prioritizes profit over human life,” he said.
Dr. Alpay Azap, president of the Turkish Medical Association, also addressed the crowd. “We’re here to support the families and ensure those responsible are held to account,” he said. “Sadly, justice mechanisms often leave those truly responsible untouched. That’s why public pressure is vital.”
One of the victims, Azap noted, was a medical intern who died trying to help others.
Due to the large number of defendants and plaintiffs — 210 civil parties — the Bolu High Criminal Court is in session at the high school’s sports hall.
The trial is expected to last two weeks.
With reporting from Agence France-Presse