Families shattered as hotel fire in Bolu kills 76
BOLU
The hotel fire at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort in the northern province of Bolu has killed 76 people from all walks of life, leaving an irreplaceable void in families and communities.
Among the 238 registered guests, survivors recount moments of chaos as the flames spread through the 12-story building late at night.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed ongoing DNA analyses to identify victims, with 52 identified so far.
For many, the tragedy struck while escaping daily routines during the long-awaited semester break.
Among the victims were Adana residents Mert and Duygu Doğan with their children Mavi and Doğa, who had sought respite at the resort.
Similarly, Alya Altın, a 4th-grade student and her mother Kübra Tonguç Altın, perished during their holiday from İzmir.
The academic world grieved for Özyeğin University Dean Atakan Yalçın and his daughter, Elif Derin Yalçın, who perished alongside several young students, including 9th-graders Alican and Elif Nas Boduroğlu of TED Istanbul College and Eren Bağcı, a 10th-grade student at TED Ankara College.
Heartbreaking stories emerged, like that of Zehra Sena Gültekin, a Turkish Airlines employee who called her mother to ask for forgiveness as the fire raged. She died alongside her husband, three children and nine other family members.
Similarly, Bolu attorney Yüksel Gültekin lost seven family members, including his children, their spouses and three grandchildren. Gültekin came to the area with his relatives and waited hours by the hotel before he was informed of their demise.
The corporate sector also mourned prominent losses. Can Tokcan, CEO of Innovat Energy, died with his brother Atıl Enes Tokcan and their children.
Sorrow extended to the sports and media world, as Galatasaray Row Club’s former athlete Mehmet Cem Doğan, his wife and daughter were among the deceased.
Fenerbahçe Sports Club mourned the death of 15-year-old swimmer Vedia Nil Apak and her mother, Ferda Apak. The club also confirmed the loss of Ceren Yaman Doğan, the wife of Bolu Fenerbahçe Association vice president Rıfat Doğan, and their daughter, Lalin Doğan.
Journalist Nedim Türkmen, his wife and two children were also lost. Türkmen was elected as the head of Orduspor Club in 2009, and two years after taking office, he ended Orduspor's longing for the Super League.
SEV American College, where Nedim Türkmen's daughter Ala Dora Türkmen, a 12th grade student attended school, published a condolence message with the words, “We will always remember our student with her beautiful memories.”
