Erdoğan vows accountability after hotel fire in Bolu

Erdoğan vows accountability after hotel fire in Bolu

ANKARA
Erdoğan vows accountability after hotel fire in Bolu

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged that all those responsible for a tragic hotel fire in the northwestern city of Bolu will be held accountable.

Haberin Devamı

“We will never hesitate to do whatever is necessary to ensure that everyone who has responsibility, shortcomings and negligence is held accountable,” Erdoğan said on Jan. 29 at his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) weekly meeting at parliament.

The devastating fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel killed 78 people. It reportedly started in the hotel’s kitchen and rapidly spread early on Jan. 21.

"We will ensure that the disaster is investigated in every detail without leaving the slightest trace of suspicion and that those responsible are brought to light,” Erdoğan said.

"We have done and will do everything necessary to make our citizens who have prematurely lost their loved ones feel that they are not alone."

Authorities said 50 people were injured in the fire, 48 of whom have since been discharged from hospitals. The number of people detained in the investigation has risen to 28, with 19 still in custody.

“The expert committee will submit its reports to the judiciary when their work is complete," he said. "No one can and will be able to escape responsibility with empty rhetoric. Whoever is responsible will be held accountable by independent Turkish courts, not social media."

Among the dead were 36 children, as families had gathered at the ski resort during Türkiye's two-week school break.

"We absolutely cannot tolerate greedy criminals disregarding the lives of our citizens. No one can gamble with the lives of our citizens. No one can sacrifice innocent children to their ambitions," Erdoğan said. "We will have no pity on anyone."

The president accused the opposition of "opening the wounds of families with irresponsible statements."

"When will you share the grief of this nation?" he said. "When will you give up politicizing every issue and the politics of exploitation?"

Meanwhile, a hotel employee alleged that hotel owner Halit Ergül had instructed managers to wake up staff but not to notify guests as the fire spread.

"This is how things were going at this hotel anyway," employee Tuni Burhan told private broadcaster CNN Türk. "When there is a problem, the staff handles it among themselves and doesn’t notify anyone."