A Turkish court has sentenced the owner of a ski resort hotel and 10 others to life in prison for severe negligence in a deadly fire
BySUZAN FRASER Associated Press
October 31, 2025, 9: 07 AM
ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish court on Friday sentenced the owner of a ski resort hotel and 10 others to life in prison after convicting them of severe negligence in connection with a deadly fire that swept through the property, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The blaze hit the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel at the Kartalkaya ski resort in the province of Bolu on Jan. 21 during the winter school break, killing 78 people and injuring 133 others. A total of 34 children taking family vacations were among the victims.
The court convicted hotel owner Halit Ergul, along with his wife, two daughters, hotel managers, a deputy mayor and a deputy fire chief of negligence with “probable intent to kill.” They were each sentenced to life imprisonment for the deaths of the children, and received an additional 25 years in prison for the 44 other fatalities.
The defendants, who have rejected responsibility for the deaths, were expected to appeal the decision. The courtroom broke into applause after the verdicts were read, with families welcoming t