A parliamentary commission investigating last year's deadly fire at a ski resort hotel in northwestern Türkiye released a report on March 11 outlining institutional responsibilities, stopping short of assigning direct blame to the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
The commission’s report reviewed legislation governing oversight of tourism facilities, an issue that became a central point of dispute after the blaze.
It concluded that the ministry is responsible for certifying and classifying tourism establishments, while fire safety and operational inspections fall under the authority of municipalities, provincial special administrations, fire departments and occupational safety bodies.
In the criminal case related to the blaze, a court handed aggravated life sentences to 11 defendants, including hotel owner Halit Ergül, members of his family, hotel managers and officials from the Bolu Municipality.
Another 18 people — including technical staff, employees of an inspection firm and officials from the Bolu Provincial Special Administration — were convicted of manslaughter by negligence. Three defendants were acquitted.
Nine ministry personnel gave statements in December as part of the investigation, and courts imposed travel bans on them as a judicial control measure.
The probe also exposed a dispute between the ministry and the opposition-run municipality, with both sides accusing the other of failing to carry out adequate inspections and documentation.
The fire broke out on Jan. 21 at the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel, quickly filling rooms with smoke and flames and trapping guests inside. Some survivors escaped by jumping from windows or lowering themselves with bedsheets, while others were unable to flee.
Seventy-eight people were killed in the disaster, including 36 children, while another 133 people were injured.
Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan was later suspended from office on March 3 after being jailed pending trial on extortion charges in a separate investigation.
