The fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya, a ski resort in Bolu, northwestern Turkey, claimed 79 lives, and left dozens injured. There were 238 guests staying at the hotel at the time of the fire.
The wooden exterior of the hotel caused the fire to spread rapidly. Some guests were forced to jump out of windows to escape the flames. The victims’ funerals have begun today, accompanied by a one-day national mourning period.
Eleven people, including the hotel owner and municipal officials, are currently in custody in connection with the fire, and the investigation is ongoing. However, questions and debates surrounding the incident show no signs of subsiding. What is known about the fire? Who owns the hotel, who holds responsibility, and what do the laws say about accountability?
'No alarms, no sprinklers': Bolu ski resort fire death toll rises to 76 amid negligence allegations
What is known about the hotel, and who owns it?
The Grand Kartal Hotel was built by businessperson Mazhar Murtezaoğlu and opened in 1978.
After Murtezaoğlu’s death in 2019, his daughter Emine Ergül and her husband Halit Ergül took over the management. According to the Trade Registry Gazette, Elif Aras and Ceyda Hacıbekiroğlu are members of the board of directors of the company that owns the hotel. The family also owns another hotel in Bolu, called Gazelle Resort & SPA.
Halit Ergül is also the president of the Western Black Sea Hoteliers Association, the vice chairman of the Bolu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Black Sea Region Representative of the Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA).
Photos of Halit Ergül circulated in the media and on social platforms show his connections with figures associated with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Why was the initial response delayed?
There are four hotels in the ski resort area, with a total bed capacity of 1,223. However, there is no dedicated fire department in the area. The closest fire station is 28.5 kilometers away, which delayed the response.
The first fire report was received at 3.27 am, and the fire department began their intervention at 4.15 am, after a 48-minute delay.
Fire escapes and alarm system
One of the biggest criticisms regarding the fire is the lack of proper fire escapes and a functioning alarm system. There are conflicting statements about the fire escape. While no external fire escape is visible on the building, some claim there was an internal fire escape.
The most significant official statement on this matter came from Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who both stated that the hotel had two fire escapes. However, statements from hotel staff and guests contradict these claims.
Eylem Şentürk, a survivor of the fire, told reporters, “My husband had to jump down from a ledge because he couldn’t find the fire escape. I’ve stayed at this hotel before, and I’ve never seen a fire escape.”
Neçirvan Öner, who worked as a cleaner at the hotel, said, “There wasn’t a proper fire escape, and there weren’t any fire extinguishers on the floors.” Another employee stated that the so-called fire escape was also used for service purposes.
Both guests and staff testified that the fire alarm existed but did not work. Moreover, since 2008, an "automatic sprinkler system" has been mandatory in such buildings. The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) has questioned how the hotel passed inspections despite this requirement.
Who holds responsibility?
A debate over "oversight and authority" has emerged between Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan.
Minister Ersoy stated, "The responsibility lies with the fire department." However, Özcan countered this, explaining that the Bolu Municipality does not hold jurisdiction: "Bolu is not a metropolitan city, and this area is not within the Bolu Municipality’s boundaries. The authority rests with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The minister himself is directly responsible for this incident."
The Kartalkaya region is within the borders of Bolu’s Seben district but falls under the jurisdiction of National Parks. According to Özcan, the hotel was licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1997.
Even today, businesses with a Tourism Operating License are regulated and licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Information on the Ministry’s website confirms that the Grand Kartal Hotel is a certified facility with a Tourism Operating License.
Was the hotel inspected?
Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated yesterday that the hotel was inspected in 2021 and 2024. However, he provided no details about the scope of these inspections.
It was also revealed late last night that Bolu Municipality’s Fire Department had inspected a 70-square-meter café-restaurant space in the hotel 19 days prior to the fire. According to a document prepared upon the application, this inspection was conducted on January 2, 2025. The operator of the space intended to be a café-restaurant is listed as Mudurnu Enerji Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ.
The fire department issued a document stating that the facility complied with the "Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings." The report indicated the presence of one 6-kilogram dry chemical fire extinguisher, a residual current device, and an emergency lighting system.
After this document was leaked, another inspection document was released today. According to this, the Fire Department conducted another inspection of the hotel on December 16 at the request of the management.
A man named Kadir Özdemir, identified as the operations manager, submitted an application to the municipality on December 12, stating, "I have opened a business to operate as a hotel. I request an inspection of my workplace’s fire safety measures and the issuance of a fire safety compliance report."
The Fire Department’s inspection on December 16 noted deficiencies in evacuation exits, illuminated directional signs, emergency lighting, electrical installations, extinguishing equipment instructions, detection systems, fire alarms, lightning rods, and smoke control. Additionally, it was determined that the fire doors did not meet regulatory standards.
Following this, Kadir Özdemir submitted another petition to the municipality on December 24, requesting the cancellation of his inspection request from December 12.
Were incentives provided?
In 2023, the hotel received an investment incentive certificate from the Ministry of Industry and Technology for a new hotel project.
The Grand Kartal Hotel was listed among the 5,122 companies granted incentives, signed off by Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır. The project was classified as a "regionally prioritized investment." However, it appears that the company has not yet started construction on a new hotel in the area.
Furthermore, under the "Tourism Promotion Law," all facilities with a Tourism Operating License must undergo regular inspections, for which the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is responsible.
Criticized regulation
The tragedy has also sparked criticism of the "Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings," published in 2007. Bahadır Özgür, a columnist for Gazete Duvar highlighted criticisms of deficiencies in the regulation, noting that in 2012, the AKP government amended it through a Council of Ministers decision.
The original wording of Article 6, Paragraph 4 states, "Projects shall be approved and implemented by the authorized licensing authorities after obtaining the approval of the relevant municipal fire department units."
However, this was changed to, "Projects shall be approved and implemented by the authorized licensing authorities," removing the requirement to consult fire department units. This amendment eliminated the need for fire department input at the project stage, even before construction began. (HA/VK)
