Türkiye jails owner of hotel that collapsed during 2023 earthquake – DW – 12/25/2024

A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced to prison the owner and architect of a hotel that collapsed in a devastating earthquake in 2023.

The collapse of the Grand Isias Hotel in the southern Turkish city of Adiyaman killed 72 people.

A series of powerful earthquakes struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria in 2023, killing more than 55,000 people.

According to an aid organization, an estimated 37,066 buildings collapsed in the quake and over 200,000 buildings were severely damaged.

What do we know about the verdict?

The hotel’s owner, Ahmet Bozkurt, and the hotel’s architect, Erdem Yilmaz, were each sentenced to 18 years and five months in prison on the same charge – for “causing the death or injury of more than one person through conscious negligence.” “. “, state news agency Anadolu reported.

The owner’s son, Mehmet Fatih Bozkurt, was sentenced to 17 years and four months in prison.

Turkish Prime Minister Unal Ustel told reporters after the court ruling that the sentence was too lenient, adding that they would take the case to a higher court.

“Hotel owners did not receive the punishment we expected,” Ustel said. “Nevertheless, everyone from those responsible for the hotel construction to the architects were convicted. “We were partly pleased about that,” he added.

rmt/rm (AFP, dpa)