Turkey Court Gives Life Terms in Bolu Ski-Hotel Fire That Killed 78
A Turkish court on Friday handed down life sentences to 11 people for a January hotel fire that killed 78 at a ski resort in Bolu province, ruling that their actions amounted to negligence with probable intent to kill. The Bolu 1st High Criminal Court said the group—including hotel owner Halit Ergül, his wife and two daughters, senior managers, a deputy mayor, and a deputy fire chief—bore responsibility for the deadly blaze at the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel during the winter school holiday. Prosecutors argued the defendants ignored basic safety obligations; the panel agreed, issuing life terms tied to the deaths of 34 children and tacking on 25-year sentences for the deaths of 44 adults. Defense lawyers said they will appeal.
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The verdict caps one of Turkey’s most closely watched disaster trials in recent years. In total, 32 people were tried: Beyond the 11 receiving life terms, 18—mostly hotel employees—were sentenced to 12–22 years, while three were acquitted, according to Turkish media. The fire on Jan. 21 tore through the Grand Kartal, part of the Kartalkaya ski area above Bolu, leaving 78 dead and 137 injured and prompting a nationwide review of fire safety at high-occupancy winter resorts.
Turkey has tightened building and inspection rules after previous mass-casualty incidents, but prosecutors said the hotel failed to meet required safeguards. The court’s decision signals a tougher line on public officials and private operators whose lapses lead to mass fatalities. Appeals will move forward through Turkey’s higher courts, where defense teams are expected to challenge both the legal theory—“probable intent” grounded in gross negligence—and the length of the penalties.
