Justice Served: Sentences Handed Down for Isias Hotel Collapse in Turkey

A Turkish court has sentenced the owner and architect of the Isias Grand hotel to over 18 years in prison for their roles in the February earthquake collapse which resulted in 72 fatalities. The case highlights the ongoing scrutiny of building standards amidst the aftermath of one of the deadliest earthquakes in the region’s history.

A Turkish court has convicted and sentenced the owner of the Isias Grand hotel, Ahmet Bozkurt, and the architect, Erdem Yilmaz, to 18 years and five months in prison each over the tragic collapse of their hotel during a devastating earthquake in February 2023, which claimed the lives of 72 individuals. Along with them, Bozkurt's son, Mehmet Fatih, received a sentence of 17 years and four months. The sentencing has drawn attention to accountability in the wake of one of the most lethal seismic events in the region.

At the time of the earthquake, the hotel was accommodating a volleyball team from Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus and several tourist guides. The three convicted individuals faced charges of "causing the death or injury of more than one person through conscious negligence," as reported by Anadolu news agency. The Prime Minister of Turkish Cyprus, Unal Ustel, expressed dissatisfaction with the length of the sentences, calling them insufficient and announcing intentions to appeal, stating, "Hotel owners did not get the punishment we had expected."

The February 6 quake resulted in over 50,000 fatalities across Turkey and Syria, with approximately 1.5 million individuals left homeless due to extensive damage to around 160,000 buildings. The collapse of the Isias Grand, frequently recognized as one of Adiyaman's premier hotels, was particularly alarming. Investigations revealed that substandard construction practices, including the use of gravel and sand mixed with main building materials, contributed to the building’s failure.

Among the tragic outcomes of the earthquake, a group of 39 individuals from Famagusta Turkish Education College, including young students and their parents, was largely wiped out when the hotel collapsed. Only four parents survived after remarkably digging themselves out from the rubble. The swift collapse of the hotel, which had been operating since 2001, has fueled criticisms directed at the Turkish government regarding their lax enforcement of building regulations amid a construction boom, which had eroded public trust in safety practices over the years.