Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan has accused authorities of procedural violations in the investigation into the Grand Kartal Hotel fire in the Kartalkaya ski resort that claimed 78 lives on Jan 21.
In a written statement, Özcan criticized the detention of Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener and Acting Fire Chief Kenan Coşkun, arguing that their arrests violated the Law No 4483 on the Prosecution of Civil Servants.
Describing the situation as a "legal travesty," Özcan said, "Under Law No. 4483, an 'investigation permission decision' is legally required to detain or conduct a judicial investigation into public officials. No such permission has been issued. As such, these detentions and the investigation itself are entirely unlawful and arbitrary."
Özcan also raised concerns about transparency, claiming that while authorities cited a confidentiality order, no official court ruling enforcing such an order had been presented to the lawyers. "It is unclear whether there is a confidentiality order on the investigation at all," he added.
Bolu hotel fire: delayed response, lack of oversight, flawed legal framework
The preliminary report 'not well-received' by authorities
The mayor further alleged that an expert team had been removed from the investigation due to their findings. "As of last night, seven experts were dismissed from the case after submitting a preliminary report that was not well-received," he said. He also claimed that lawyers were facing arbitrary restrictions when attempting to meet with the detained officials.
Mayor Özcan, a member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has faced criticism in pro-government media outlets following the fire, with some blaming him for the incident. He has rejected these claims, arguing that the Kartalkaya ski resort is designated as a tourism zone, placing oversight and regulatory responsibility with the Culture and Tourism Ministry rather than the municipality.
Preliminary assessments and accounts from witnesses and survivors suggest that the hotel lacked both a functioning fire alarm system and any fire suppression systems. This critical safety lapse resulted in many of the 238 guests staying at the time being trapped by the fire, which erupted around 3.30 am while they were sleeping. Reports indicate that several individuals jumped from windows in desperation as they were unable to access the fire escape, which was also reportedly not properly fireproof.
'No alarms, no sprinklers': Bolu ski resort fire death toll rises to 76 amid negligence allegations
(VK)
