National Unity Party (UBP) General Secretary and Gazimağusa MP Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu has said that justice will prevail sooner or later.

Hasipoğlu, who is head of the Temporary and Special Parliamentary Committee established to monitor the legal and judicial process regarding the İsias Trial was speaking after the third high criminal court in the Turkish city of Adiyaman ordered that a new report be written regarding the deaths of the 24 Turkish Cypriot children and 11 adults, as well as 47 others, who were killed when the Isias hotel in Adiyaman collapsed during the earthquakes which hit the region on February 6 last year.

The latest hearing in the İsias Hotel trial took place on Friday, with three reports into the hotel’s collapse already having been written by Trabzon’s Karadeniz Technical University, the Istanbul Technical University, and Ankara’s Gazi University.

The Gazi University report had generated controversy as it had been much less scathing than the other two, and had led to the release of two of the accused who had initially been held in custody following the first phase of the trial in January.

In court on Friday, the prosecution had requested that the two be re-detained, but the court ruled against the request.

However the court ordered that the hotel owners Ahmet Bozkurt and his son Mehmet Fatih Bozkurt as well as the building’s architect Erdem Yıldız remain in custody.

The next hearing will take place on June 12.

Evaluating the outcome of Friday’s hearing, UBP General Secretary and Gaziamağusa MP Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu who heads the parliamentary committee in charge of following up on the developments said that justice will prevail sooner or later.

He said that the government and opposition were jointly backing and supporting all efforts of the prosecution.

“Throughout all expert and witness testimonies in court, it is an undeniable fact that the Bozkurt family still claims that the hotel was built to standards and that they had no wrongdoing”, said Hasipoğlu expressing astonishment at the defenses allegations and remarks.

He said that Friday’s hearing had revealed the potential of upgrading the charges to causing death with possible intent.

“The revelation that a construction permit was obtained with forged documents and the actions that followed could be tantamount to murder,” Hasipoğlu said, arguing that their actions could be tantamount to murder.”

He emphasized the need for the defendants to be tried for possible intent.

Regarding the court’s order for a new report, Hasipoğlu said that this was a positive development.

“We knew the Gazi University report did not satisfy us. Therefore, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, our Parliamentary Committee met with the leader of the main opposition and some deputies in Ankara and Cyprus. After consulting with lawyers, expert reports identifying the deficiencies and/or errors in the Gazi Uni report were prepared. Despite objections from the defence lawyers, the Adıyaman Court heard expert witnesses brought before it and stated it would grant the same right to the defendants. Ultimately, as requested, the court found the Gazi Uni report insufficient and ordered the preparation of a new report. We do not want any aspect to remain ambiguous. Therefore, we consider the court’s request for a fourth new expert report, following reports from Istanbul Technical University, Karadeniz Technical University, and Gazi University, as a positive development.”