Sentences Handed Down to Owners and Architect of Turkey's Isias Hotel Following Devastating Earthquake Collapse

A Turkish court has sentenced Isias Hotel owner Ahmet Bozkurt and architect Erdem Yilmaz to over 18 years in prison for their roles in the deadly collapse during the February 2023 earthquake, which took the lives of 72 individuals, including a school volleyball team. Criticism regarding the leniency of the sentences has surfaced, prompting appeals.

 

A court in Turkey has sentenced the owner of the Isias Grand Hotel, Ahmet Bozkurt, and its architect, Erdem Yilmaz, to 18 years and five months in prison each. Bozkurt's son, Mehmet Fatih, received a sentence of 17 years and four months for their involvement in the collapse of the hotel during a catastrophic earthquake in February 2023, which killed 72 people according to Anadolu news agency.

The Isias Grand, situated in the southeastern city of Adiyaman, was housing a school volleyball team from Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus and a group of tourist guides when the earthquake struck. The three defendants were found guilty of "causing the death or injury of more than one person through conscious negligence." Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Unal Ustel criticized the sentences as insufficient and announced plans to appeal the decision, stating, "Hotel owners did not get the punishment we had expected."

On February 6, 2023, a tragic earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, resulting in over 50,000 deaths and causing approximately 160,000 buildings to either collapse or endure severe damage, which left around 1.5 million people homeless. Following the disaster, Turkish authorities initiated investigations, leading to nearly 200 arrests including construction contractors and property owners.

Among those who perished were 39 individuals from Famagusta Turkish Education College, made up of boys, girls, teachers, and parents, who were present for a volleyball tournament. Four parents managed to survive by escaping the rubble, while 35 others, including all children from the team, did not.

Despite being one of the most recognized hotels in Adiyaman since its opening in 2001, it reportedly suffered from construction quality issues. Scientific analyses indicated that materials—gravel and sand from a local river—were improperly mixed in the columns supporting the building. The scale of destruction during the earthquake has sparked widespread criticism of the Turkish government, accusing it of promoting a construction boom without adequately enforcing building regulations, even after tightening them in the wake of prior disasters.