Kartalkaya Hotel Fire: Owner’s Wife Testifies in Trial
During the hearing regarding the tragic fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel that claimed 78 lives, the wife of hotel owner Halit Ergรผl, Emine Murtezaoglu Ergรผl, offered her defense. The trial sheds light on the events leading up to the disaster and the responsibilities of those in charge.
Defendant Claims Limited Hotel Involvement
Emine Murtezaoglu Ergรผl, who was arrested two months following the devastating incident, recounted her experience on the night of the fire, stating she narrowly escaped. After hearing noises from the corridor, kฤฑr’ dedim
. She contacted her husband, who was at Gazelle Hotel, seeking assistance because people were trapped inside. โฤฐรงeride insanlar vardฤฑ. Duman รงok kรถtรผydรผ. ฤฐnsanlara yardฤฑm etmeye รงalฤฑลtฤฑm, gitmeye รงalฤฑลtฤฑm ama ulaลamadฤฑm. รok toz ve duman vardฤฑ.
Continuing her account, Ergรผl added, Lens kullananlar bilir; toz ve kuruluk gรถzleri รงok kรถtรผ etkiler. Bu yรผzden gidemedim, dฤฑลarฤฑ รงฤฑktฤฑm. Yรผksek merdivenle 6’ncฤฑ ve 7’nci kattaki insanlarฤฑ kurtarฤฑyorlardฤฑ. Beni de o merdivenle kurtardฤฑlar. Bir sรผrรผ insan vardฤฑ; รงฤฑkan herkes saฤa I was able to go to Dorukaya Hotel. We stayed in Gazelle Hotel for a few days.
‘Not Interested in Hotel Operations’
Emine Murtezaoฤlu Ergรผl asserted she had no direct involvement in the hotel’s daily operations. She explained, โours is a family company. I wasn’t interested in business. My father would do the same, my wife did. I had my grandchildren, I didn’t have any interest in the work of the hotel.
According to data, family businesses make up 80 to 90 percent of all companies in North America (Harvard Business Review 2023).
Court Questions Defendant’s Role
The Court President inquired about Ergรผl’s official duties as listed in the Trade Registry Newspaper. Ergรผl acknowledged having a formal role, stating, โYes, I had such a duty. When I didn’t have a wife, they would bring me a paperwork, I would have signed it. I wouldn’t interfere with the hotel management. Emir Aras was the manager, but he wouldn’t decide on his own.
The defendant stated she didn’t know specifics regarding fire safety measures, such as employee training and the presence of fire extinguishers, but confirmed there were fire tubes in the corridorsโ.