High-Rise Hotel Owners Sentenced for 2023 Earthquake Collapse

Turkish authorities took a significant step in accountability as the architect and owner of the Isias Grand hotel received lengthy prison sentences following the building's catastrophic failure, which resulted in numerous fatalities.

In the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake that devastated southeastern Turkey, a court has delivered justice by sentencing the owner of the Isias Grand hotel, Ahmet Bozkurt, and architect Erdem Yilmaz to 18 years and five months each in prison. The hotel collapse in February resulted in the tragic loss of 72 lives. Bozkurt's son, Mehmet Fatih, also received a sentence of 17 years and four months.

The Isias Grand, situated in Adiyaman, was housing a school volleyball team from Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus alongside several tourist guides at the time of the earthquake. The three men were found guilty of "causing the death or injury of more than one person through conscious negligence,” as reported by the Anadolu news agency.

Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Unal Ustel expressed dissatisfaction with the sentences, labeling them as too lenient and indicating that the authorities would pursue an appeal. "Hotel owners did not get the punishment we had expected," Ustel directed, highlighting the need for stricter accountability.

The February 6 earthquake claimed over 50,000 lives across Turkey and Syria, while around 160,000 buildings either collapsed or were severely damaged, displacing approximately 1.5 million individuals. Following the disaster, the Turkish government initiated hundreds of investigations, resulting in nearly 200 arrests of construction contractors and property owners involved in building practices.

The ill-fated volleyball group, which included 39 children, teachers, and parents from Famagusta Turkish Education College, had traveled to Adiyaman for a tournament when disaster struck. Tragically, only four parents survived, digging their way out from beneath the rubble, while 35 others, including all the children, perished.

The Isias Grand, a notable establishment since its opening in 2001, collapsed within moments during the quake. Investigations uncovered that substandard construction practices were employed, with gravel and sand from a local river dangerously mixed into the materials supporting the hotel.

The widespread destruction attributed to the earthquake has sparked significant backlash against the Turkish government, which has faced allegations of facilitating a construction boom without proper enforcement of tightened regulations put in place to prevent disasters like this from happening again.