Quake victim families slam court decision
THE families of Turkish Cypriot schoolchildren, teachers and parents who died in the collapse of a hotel in the Turkish city of Adıyaman in last year’s earthquake disaster have slammed the release of the prime suspects on bail.
Ruşen Karakaya, head of the Champion Angels Memorial Association, that represents the relatives of the deceased, and Hasan Esendağlı, president of the Cyprus Turkish Bar Association, held a joint press conference on Tuesday to address the recent decision made by the Adıyaman Court. They were joined by the association’s general-secretary Osman Akın.
The decision in question involved the release of Efe Bozkurt and Halil Bağcı, owners of the Grand Isias Hotel, who had been implicated in the defects that contributed to the collapse of the building during the earthquake, while other nearby buildings remained standing.
Karakaya expressed her disappointment with the court’s decision, which she described as a “scandal”.
She criticised the “hasty” and “flawed” report prepared by Gazi University that she said contributed to the release of the defendants.
“We wish the court to act in accordance with the law by taking common sense, reliable and impartial reports into consideration during the trial process,” Karakaya stated.
She emphasised that the report would be refuted in court using scientific data and that their legal fight for justice will continue.
Esendağlı described the decision to release the defendants as a “judicial error”. He pointed out that while the release does not imply innocence, the report from Gazi University was insufficient in addressing the technical aspects of the case.
Esendağlı stated that lawyers will object to the court’s decision and emphasised their determination to continue fighting despite the challenging legal climate ahead of the next hearing on April 26.