Call for 'justice' from Kartalkaya families in front of the hotel: 'Who has the right to drag us here with this pain!'

As a result of the fire that occurred at Bolu Kartalkaya Grand Kartal Hotel on the night of January 21, 2025, 78 people, including 36 children, lost their lives. Kartalkaya Family Platform came together in front of the hotel where the disaster occurred, while the budget of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism was being discussed in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey's Planning and Budget Commission, demanding "the officials of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to be held accountable before the judiciary."

Families carrying photographs of those who lost their relatives in the fire could not hold back their tears. Families carried banners saying "Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy resign" and "Grand Kartal Hotel should be turned into a museum of evil".

"WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO DRAG US HERE WITH THIS PAIN?"

Making a statement on behalf of the families, Hilmi Altın stated that their pain is still as fresh as the first day and said, "November 6, 2026 is for you, not for us; for us it is still January 21, 2025. I am Hilmi Altın, who got out of this hotel by chance. I left my wife and daughter here. The people responsible for this are known. Shame on those who forced me and so many families to go here with this pain. We are walking on these roads side by side. If you want to see our pain, look into our eyes. We have mourned since the first day." "We are running around screaming 'Justice, justice'. We are at the doors of the Courthouse. We are at the Supreme Court of Appeals. Who has the right to drag us here with this pain?" he said.

"WE DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO STAND ANYMORE, THE MINISTER OF TOURISM SHOULD RESIGN"

Altın noted that the precedent decision given in the first file was in the Supreme Court process and said that they would follow the decision. Hilmi Altın stated that ministry officials were not held accountable and said:

"But there are other things we are waiting for: the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Internal Affairs... They have not been held accountable yet. The Minister of Tourism was appearing on television years ago and telling us how well they inspected. Do you remember? But what did he say after the fire? 'We do not have the authority to inspect.' However, in 2023, the Ministry of Tourism requested fire inspection documents for hotels with the circular it published. What did he do next? It postponed it until May 2024. With whose signature? By Neşe Çıldık. With the signature of the minister's representative from ETS Tur.

In July, they issued closure orders for more than 2,500 hotels. Do you know which one of those hotels was? This was the hotel. They did not close it. They didn't close that hotel. They also canceled that article in September. What's up sir, the tourist season has started. We were burned to death in this hotel. They sent people to inspect this hotel on December 16th. They stayed in the hotel below, owned by the owners of this hotel. We asked in court how they paid. They got it for free. They stayed for free, inspected this hotel and then did not write the report. When was the report published? After the fire. Do you understand? And these people are still in office as the Minister of Tourism, despite the decision made by the Council of State. Who owns this evidence? Answer, Minister of Tourism. Answer me. You no longer have the strength to stand it. This Minister of Tourism should resign. "I have nothing more to say."

NEW PARTY TANAL: WE WANT THE MANIFESTATION OF COMPLETE JUSTICE

In his statement, NEW Party Şanlıurfa Deputy Mahmut Tanal stated that they wanted "complete justice" and argued that "ministry officials cannot escape responsibility on the grounds of investigation permission."

Tanal stated that "there is no need for an investigation permit in cases of flagrante delicto and serious criminal offenses" and called on the authorities to immediately dismiss those responsible and initiate an investigation against them.

Tanal said, "This is a place of shame" and added that the hotel should be turned into a museum of humanity with the consent of the families. Tanal said, "As long as these officials are not tried, this justice will be incomplete and incomplete. We want the manifestation of a complete justice that is not incomplete."

PRESIDENT OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION, SAĞKAN: WE ARE TRYING TO BE A VOICE TO THE FAMILIES' CRY FOR JUSTICE

Erinç Sağkan, President of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, reminded that 78 people, including 36 children, lost their lives in the fire and said:

"Today, nearly 2 years later, we are here to make the families' cries visible because justice has still not been fully established. We are trying to give voice to the families' screams for justice and to make their voices visible. There is a life story in the photographs you see here. Each of them had dreams for the future. These dreams were blatantly taken from these people's hands. Not with such negligence, but with a blatant lack of control."

"PROSECUTION PROCESSES SHOULD BE OPENED IMMEDIATELY AGAINST PUBLIC OFFICIALS"

Sağkan said that although the responsibilities of public officials were revealed in the expert report, the relevant ministries showed an obstructive attitude towards the start of the judicial process, and that the fact that no public case was filed yet and the responsible people continued their duties damaged the families' sense of justice and trust in social justice.

Stating that the families marched for justice in Ankara, held a justice vigil in Anıtpark and came to visit the Bar Association, Sağkan said, "Rest assured, no one would have wanted to have to make such a statement in front of this hotel. However, they were forced to make this statement here. Now, it is our duty to call out to all authorities from here. We demand that all relevant public officials be prosecuted and all legal and administrative measures be implemented as soon as possible. Nobody should forget that no position, no position, no seat is above the law." "It is not," he said.

"WHAT BUDGET COMMISSION MEETING ARE YOU HOLDING?"

Oktay Akişli, who lost his mother, brother and nephew in the fire, reminded the statements of the Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in 2021 that hotels were regularly inspected and operating standards were ensured.

Akişli points out that the Kartalkaya road was built with the contributions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and that there is a sign in the hotel lobby saying "It is under the control of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism" and says, "He argues that the operating standards of the hotels are ensured, especially with the inspections carried out here. Is your standard to come here and make soap and napkins? Is this what you do?" he said.

Oktay Akişli stated that in the 2025 report of the Court of Accounts, it was determined that "the Ministry does not have tools to audit and there are hotels that have not been inspected for years" and said, "Today, there is a budget commission meeting of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. What report are you doing, what are you auditing? Why are you holding the budget commission meeting today?" he asked.

Stating that in the Gülistan Doku investigation, the Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office ensured the arrest of the governor, the Provincial Gendarmerie Commander and the Provincial Police Chief, regardless of anyone's office or position, Akişli said, "There is also the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor here. What did he do? It will be 1.5 years. The Council of State said: 'You can investigate these 9 public personnel.' But the gentleman does not move his pen," he said.

Akişli said:

"Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, your job is not how to win the 2028 elections. Your job is to ensure justice for the 78 lives here. There are so many people seeking justice in the society... I say this as the Akişli family. I slept at my mother's grave the day before. I came here the day before to seek justice for my mother. Is this reprehensible? I also call out to the President: Erdoğan is the nobody among the orphans. 'In our tradition, the state is the one among many others. Our President says, "It is our duty as a state to take care of our children who have lost their families due to death or various reasons, and to be a mother and father to them." Where is this position, I ask; advisors, chief advisors... If it's up to your advisors, get well soon. Get well soon."