A court in Adıyaman, southeastern Turkey, has sentenced Ahmet Bozkurt, the owner of the Grand Isias Hotel.
He received 18 years and 5 months in prison for “causing death or injury to multiple people due to conscious negligence.” The earthquake in February 2023 destroyed the hotel building, resulting in the deaths of 72 people. The owner’s son, Mehmet Fatih Bozkurt, was sentenced to 17 years and 4 months in prison, while the architect, Erdem Yılmaz, received 18 years and 5 months. All three denied their guilt.
Investigations revealed that an additional floor was illegally added to the hotel in 2016 without proper permits. Violations of construction standards and the use of substandard materials were also identified. Prosecutors had sought stricter penalties of up to 22 years in prison.
Among the victims were 26 schoolchildren from a volleyball team visiting from northern Cyprus. The earthquakes in February 2023 claimed over 55,000 lives across Turkey.
Following the disaster, Turkish authorities launched extensive inspections and began arresting developers and contractors whose buildings collapsed during the tremors.
