CHP leader: Kartalkaya fire investigation should move faster

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has criticized the lack progress of the investigation into the deadly fire at a Kartalkaya hotel in the northern city of Bolu, stating that 49 days have passed without significant developments.

“We will continue to seek justice for the 78 lives lost, including 36 children and infants, in Kartalkaya. We will not let this issue fade away,” Özel said during his party’s parliamentary group meeting on March 11.

The blaze, which erupted at the Grand Kartal Hotel on Jan. 21, killed 78 people, sparking nationwide outrage and dominating Türkiye’s headlines for days. Several safety lapses and instances of negligence within the facility contributed to the high death toll. The disaster struck during Türkiye’s two-week midterm holiday, when the hotel was crowded with families and students.

The CHP leader said that a seven-member expert panel prepared a report on the incident, but the prosecutor’s office rejected it.

He further stated that disputes over whether responsibility lies with the Bolu Municipality or the Culture and Tourism Ministry have delayed the investigation and hindered justice.

“Today marks the 49th day since the Kartalkaya disaster. A crucial report has been withheld from justice, and no alternative has been put forward,” Özel asserted.

Recalling that Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya promised to resolve the responsibility dispute between the municipality and ministry within 10 days of the fire, Özel urged authorities to expedite the investigation.

Survivors recounted that when the inferno broke out around 3:30 a.m., the hotel lacked functional fire detectors, proper stairwells and adequate fire suppression systems.

Local media highlighted that the luxurious establishment could have easily installed a comprehensive fire safety system at minimal cost, potentially preventing the catastrophe.

Fifteen individuals, including the hotel’s owner, Halit Ergül, have been arrested in connection with the incident.