The verdict on the Isias Hotel trial over the collapse of the Isias Hotel during the February 2023 earthquake in Türkiye, Which killed 72 people has been announced.

The court sentenced İsias Hotel owner Ahmet Bozkurt to 17 years 17 months and 7 days, Mehmet Fatih Bozkurt to 15 years 28 months and 28 days, İsias Hotel Architect Erdem Yıldız to 17 years 17 months and 7 days, İsias Hotel Civil Engineers Halil Bağcı to 7 years and 16 months, Engineer Hasan Aslan to 15 years 16 months and 20 days, Mehmet Göncüoğlu to 7 years and 16 months.

Efe Bozkurt, Seda Zeren, Şule Özbek, Bilge Açık and Ülviye Bozkrt were acquitted.

The outcome of the case was not received well by the families of those who lost their lives at the Isias hotel.

After the verdict was announced, Ruşen Karakaya, President of Champion Angels Association, made a statement to the press.

“If this court committee did not see the possible intent, a higher court will see it,” Karakaya said, adding, “We will do what is necessary for the next step.”

Prime Minister Ünal Üstel also made a statement after the verdict and said that the criminals did not receive the full punishment they deserved.

Emphasizing that Türkiye’s justice gave a punishment to all criminals, but that these punishments were not sufficient for the TRNC, Prime Minister Üstel said, “We will apply for an appeal after the reasoned verdict is announced.”

The President of the Cyprus Turkish Bar Association Hasan Esendağlı for his part said that the court found 6 defendants guilty of conscious negligence and 5 defendants were acquitted and noted that the decision will be consulted with both families, government officials and lawyers and the path to be followed from now on will be determined.