The next trial hearing in the İsias Hotel case, where a total of 72 people, including 35 Turkish Cypriots, lost their lives in the earthquake that occurred on February 6, 2023 in Türkiye, will continue tomorrow.
A large delegation from the TRNC, approximately a hundred people including the families, which travelled to Adıyaman will be following the trial.
The second hearing in the trial concerning the Grand İsias Hotel, where the Champion Angels lost their lives in the February 6 earthquake, will be held tomorrow.
24 children from the Türk Maarif College Secondary School Volleyball team and their coaches who were in Adıyaman for a tournament and were staying at the İsias hotel died when the building collapsed in the February 6 earthquake.
Following their deaths, the team received the nickname “champion angels”.
About a hundred people, consisting of families and politicians, have travelled from Istanbul to Adıyaman for the İsias Hotel case, which will be heard at the Adıyaman 3rd Heavy Criminal Court.
Prime Minister Ünal Üstel also joined the group in Istanbul.
The delegation includes Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, along with his team, the leader of the main opposition party Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu; the Minister of the Interior Dursun Oğuz; the Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu; Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, Chairman of the Temporary and Special Parliamentary Committee Monitoring the Legal and Judicial Process Related to Earthquakes; Deputy Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly Fazilet Özdenefe; National Unity Party (UBP) MP Resmiye Canaltay, CTP MPs; Teberrüken Uluçay, Salahi Şahiner, Şifa Çolakoğlu, Ongun Talat,; Democrat Party (DP) MP Serhat Akpınar, Independent MP Aysegul Baybars and the leader of the People’s Party (HP) Kudret Özersay.
A large delegation from the families, along with Hasan Esendağlı, President of the Bar’s Association, and the legal team from the TRNC, is also present.
Ruşen Yücesoylu Karakaya, President of the Champion Angels Association told reporters earlier that they would be in Adıyaman, at the hearing to keep their promise to their children, adding that the overwhelming support shown by the Turkish Cypriot people gave them strength.
Lawyers representing the families of the Champion Angels will object to the Gazi University’s technical report, which resulted in the release of two of the defendants, by presenting three separate technical expert reports to the court.
The first hearing of the trial had taken place on January 2024.
11 persons stand accused of “causing death by conscious negligence”, and, if found guilty, could be jailed for up to 22 and a half years each.