We Have No Other Lives Platform requested that the "possible intent" provisions given by the Bolu 1st High Criminal Court in the case of the Kartalkaya Grand Kartal Hotel fire and found to be lawful in the appeal, be preserved at the Supreme Court stage.
The platform also called for a judicial process to be initiated against public officials in the three ministries whose responsibility was stated in the expert report.
In the written statement made by the We Have No Other Lives Platform, the following statements were made:
"On the night of January 21, 2025, we lost 78 lives, including 36 children, at Kartalkaya Grand Kartal Hotel. The right to life of our loved ones was taken away from them in an obvious and preventable disaster. We lost our loved ones and our hopes for the future that night. However, the impact of what happened on January 21 was not limited to our losses alone.
This disaster was caused by the failure of those responsible to protect human life to fulfill their responsibilities; It also deeply shook the society's trust in institutions, control mechanisms and public guarantees. "Today, the duty of justice is not only to ensure that those responsible are held accountable, but also to contribute to the restoration of society's shaken sense of justice and trust."
"DECISIONS MADE FOR 78 LIVES ARE IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE'S RIGHT TO LIVE"
"A full year has passed since the historic decision made by the Bolu 1st High Criminal Court on October 31, 2025. This decision is of historical importance not only for us, but also for the protection of the right to life and the prevention of similar tragedies in Türkiye. The first instance court concluded that the actions and omissions of some defendants constituted the crime of 'killing with possible intent' and established convictions. Sakarya Regional Court of Justice also found these provisions lawful as a result of the appeal review.
Today, the file is at the Supreme Court stage for appeal review. Now we have a very important responsibility before us: to protect these decisions. Because this case is not just a case of asking for accountability for a past tragedy. This case is a case in which the value of human life against economic interests, the responsibility of administrators and the vital importance of public control are revealed. The decisions made reveal that those who know the risks endangering human life but do not take the necessary precautions must be held accountable.
Therefore, it is a social responsibility to protect the decisions made. Because protecting these decisions today is necessary to prevent other families from experiencing the same pain tomorrow. The understanding of responsibility put forward in this case is important not only for those we lost in Kartalkaya, but for all of our right to life. It is a public obligation to protect these decisions.
Because protecting the right to life is one of the most fundamental obligations of the public authority. Conducting inspections to ensure the protection of human life and applying sanctions effectively is not a choice, but a public duty. It is a conscientious obligation to uphold these decisions. Because remaining silent about the unrequited actions and negligence that led to the death of 78 people means turning our back on the memory of those we lost and the quest for justice of those left behind."
"THOSE RESPONSIBLE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE INDEPENDENT COURTS"
"For this reason, we expect the decisions made by the first instance court, which were found to be lawful in the appeal review, to be evaluated with the care required by law at the Supreme Court stage. However, in order to complete justice in Kartalkaya, it is not enough to only protect the decisions made. Some of the people responsible for the operation of the hotel where the fire occurred were tried. Provisions were also made for some public officials within the local government.
On the other hand, the judicial process against other public officials working in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who are stated to be primarily responsible according to the expert report for the deficiencies in the audit and control processes that paved the way for the disaster, has not yet started. The actions and omissions of public institutions and officials responsible for supervising the hotel's activities, ensuring that occupational safety obligations are fulfilled, and ensuring that operating conditions comply with the legislation should be investigated in all aspects; Those suspected of committing a crime must be held accountable before independent courts.
No position, no title, no administrative authority should be an obstacle to accountability. Because justice cannot be completed by prosecuting only some of those responsible. We do not want privilege. We do not want revenge. We want the law to be applied equally to everyone, everyone responsible to be held accountable before the judiciary, and the perception of impunity to be eliminated. The file before the Supreme Court should be decided with the care required by law; We expect the proceedings against those responsible who have not yet been brought to justice to proceed without further delay.
From here to the whole society; We call out to state officials, members of parliament, lawyers, professional organizations, non-governmental organizations, the press and public conscience: Support the decisions made in the Kartalkaya Case. Because these decisions concern the future not only of us, but of everyone who has the right to live safely in this country. It is not possible to bring back what we lost. But it is possible to prevent other people from losing their lives due to the same negligence and irresponsibility. Justice in Kartalkaya will be ensured by protecting the decisions made and by holding everyone responsible before the judiciary. For our 78 lives, for those left behind, to prevent tragedies that have not yet occurred; "We call on the whole society to protect the decisions made and to follow justice."
