The debate surrounding the Grand Hotel fire in Kartalkaya, Turkey, which claimed 76 lives in a blaze, continues. Among the most pressing questions from the public is: “Who is responsible?” According to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the blame lies with the Bolu Municipality. However, Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan asserts that the ministry is solely responsible.
Pro-government media claims it’s Tanju Özcan; opposition media argues it’s Mehmet Nuri Ersoy who is “lying.” So, what’s the reality?
The debate surrounding the Grand Hotel fire in Kartalkaya, which claimed 76 lives in a blaze, continues. Among the most pressing questions from the public is: “Who is responsible?” According to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the blame lies with the Bolu Municipality. However, Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan asserts that the ministry is solely responsible.
Pro-government media claims it’s Tanju Özcan; opposition media argues it’s Mehmet Nuri Ersoy who is “lying.” So, what’s the reality?
The pro-government media has published a report. Here is the story as presented by Yeni Şafak, one of the government’s outlets:
“Bolu Municipality, which claimed ‘Kartalkaya is not within our jurisdiction,’ issued a ‘fire safety certificate’ for the hotel’s restaurant 19 days before the fire. The restaurant is part of the Grand Kartal Hotel, where 76 people tragically lost their lives. Despite initially claiming that ‘Kartalkaya is outside our jurisdiction,’ Bolu Municipality approved a fire safety certificate for the restaurant. The signature on the certificate belongs to Sedat Gülener, the head of the fire department and a relative of Mayor Tanju Özcan.”
What does this certificate mean?
In response to the allegations, Bolu Municipality officials told Cumhuriyet Newspaper that the approved 70-square-meter area is within the Grand Kartal Hotel but operates under a separate license. They also emphasized that the fire did not start in this section but spread from another part of the hotel.
Opposition-affiliated sources also shared the following document…
CHP journalist and former MP Barış Yarkadaş commented:
“The hotel in Bolu that burned down withdrew its application from the municipality after failing safety inspections. The hotel applied to Bolu Municipality in December, but when it failed to meet inspection requirements, it withdrew its application. Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan will provide a detailed explanation about the matter soon.”
Lastly, let’s look at lawyer Serkan Kaya’s statements regarding the issue. Referring to specific legal articles, Kaya claimed that the responsibility lies with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism:
“Despite numerous amendments through omnibus bills and midnight regulations, Article 30 of the law clearly shows where the responsibility lies. According to the article, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is responsible for ensuring that tourism investment and operational facilities meet legal standards both during and after certification. The law defines its scope in Article 2 as follows:
‘This law covers provisions related to the promotion, regulation, and supervision of tourism investments and operations.’
Kaya continues:
‘To be sure, we must also refer to the relevant regulations. The Regulation on the Inspection of Tourism Investment, Operation, and Establishments, enacted on March 11, 1983, explicitly states that inspections of tourism facilities fall under the ministry’s jurisdiction.
As seen here, I believe the ministry is responsible. However, as long as our legislative system continues with this lack of clarity, similar disasters will always remain a possibility.’”
