In a dramatic and emotional conclusion to one of Turkey’s most devastating recent tragedies, a court in Bolu province has sentenced 11 people—including the owner of the Grand Kartal Hotel, his family members, top hotel staff, a deputy mayor, and fire department officials—to life imprisonment for their roles in a catastrophic hotel fire that claimed 78 lives, including dozens of children, and left 137 others injured. The verdict, delivered on October 31, 2025, follows months of anguished testimony, public demonstrations, and national soul-searching over safety standards and accountability in the country’s booming tourism industry.
The fire broke out in the early hours of January 21, 2025, at the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel, a popular destination nestled in the snowy peaks of the Kartalkaya ski resort in northwest Turkey. According to Anadolu Agency and Reuters, the hotel was packed with 238 guests, many of them families from Istanbul and Ankara enjoying the winter school break. The disaster unfolded with terrifying speed: a spark from an electric grill in the restaurant ignited a garbage bin, rupturing a liquefied petroleum gas hose. Within minutes, flames swept through the building, fueled by a lethal combination of poor safety measures and structural vulnerabilities.
Independent experts and investigators cited a litany of failures that allowed the fire to spread almost unchecked. As reported by TRT Haber and Turkish Minute, the hotel lacked basic fire safety systems: there were no functioning alarms, smoke extraction, or sprinkler systems; staff training was inadequate; and emergency lighting, signage, and alternative exits were missing. The stairwells and elevator shafts acted as chimneys, funneling smoke and flames to the upper floors. In the chaos, guests were forced to jump from windows—some using bedsheets as makeshift ropes—to escape the inferno. The absence of fire doors and safe exits compounded the tragedy, making evacuation nearly impossible for many.
The human toll was staggering. Among the 78 dead were 34 to 36 children (sources differ slightly on the exact number), many of whom had come to the resort for a family holiday. Survivors and relatives of the victims described scenes of panic and heartbreak, with entire families wiped out in the blaze. "I go to the cemetery every day. No psychologist can ease such a pain," said Hilmi Altın, who lost his wife and 9-year-old daughter in the disaster, as quoted by Turkish Minute. Outside the courthouse, families displayed photographs of their loved ones and staged demonstrations throughout the legal proceedings, demanding justice and accountability from those responsible.
The trial, which drew intense national attention, involved a total of 32 defendants, 20 of whom were held in pre-trial detention. The court ultimately convicted 11 individuals—including hotel owner Halit Ergul, his wife, two daughters, managers, board members, a deputy mayor, and a deputy fire chief—of severe negligence with probable intent to kill. As reported by Haberturk and AFP, each received an aggravated life sentence for the deaths of the children, plus an additional 25 years for the other fatalities. The charges, described in court as "killing with possible intent," reflected the gravity of the safety lapses and the scale of the loss.
The defendants, for their part, rejected responsibility for the tragedy and indicated plans to appeal the decision. Halit Ergul, the hotel’s owner, maintained his innocence, blaming the gas equipment supplier and insisting that the hotel underwent regular inspections. "I did not even allow fireworks in front of the hotel for weddings because I did not want the birds to die," Ergul told the court, as reported by DHA news agency. Nevertheless, the inquiry found that the fire alarm system had failed on the night of the fire and that some gas equipment did not meet safety standards.
The courtroom erupted in applause as the verdicts were read, with families expressing relief and gratitude after a long and painful wait. Abdurrahman Gençbay, a senior judge at Turkey’s Council of State who lost his son in the fire, hailed the ruling as a watershed moment for Turkish justice. "This is a remarkable ruling that could set a precedent in Turkish law," Gençbay said. "Today, the court has shown the entire country that there are still judges in Bolu." Many relatives described the sentences as long-awaited justice, though for some, no legal outcome could fully heal the wounds left by the disaster.
The fire and its aftermath have sparked widespread criticism of state oversight of tourism facilities in Turkey. According to Reuters and Turkish Minute, families of the victims and independent observers have pointed to regulatory failures and lapses in enforcement as key factors that contributed to the scale of the tragedy. Calls for reform have echoed across the country, with many demanding stricter safety standards, more rigorous inspections, and greater accountability for those entrusted with public safety.
For survivors and the families of those lost, the pain remains raw. The fire not only destroyed lives but also exposed deep flaws in the systems meant to protect guests at Turkey’s tourist destinations. During the trial, survivors recounted harrowing escapes—leaping from windows, crawling through smoke-filled corridors, and searching desperately for exits that did not exist. For many, the horror of that night will never fade.
As Turkey grapples with the lessons of the Grand Kartal Hotel fire, the court’s decision stands as both a moment of reckoning and a call to action. The sentences handed down in Bolu may mark a turning point in how the country addresses negligence and safety in its burgeoning tourism sector. For the families who lost so much, the verdict offers a measure of justice—though, as many have said, true closure may always remain just out of reach.
With the appeals process likely to unfold in the months ahead, and with public debate over safety standards continuing, the legacy of the Kartalkaya tragedy will linger in Turkish society for years to come. Yet, for now, the families who gathered outside the courthouse—clutching photographs, embracing through tears—have seen their demands for accountability answered, if only in part, by the law.
