Mikhael Biykli / Mehmet ALA/Istanbul, (DHA)- AA
Created on: July 17, 2024 11:51
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A trial has begun for nine defendants, including the manager, who are each facing up to 22 years and six months in prison for the fire that broke out during the renovation of a Besiktas nightclub and killed 29 people. One of the defendants, Çatay Altuner, pleaded not guilty but said, “Your Excellency, what happened was ordained by God. I am innocent. I was going to make the metal parts of the lodge. It’s done. “If there hadn’t been a fire, this would not have happened.” He used the expression.
The nine defendants (seven of whom are in custody) and their lawyers attended the hearing, held by the Istanbul 33rd High Criminal Court in a hall opposite Marmara Prison. The hearing, attended by the plaintiffs, their lawyers and an audience, was connected to the hearing via the Audio-Visual Information System (SEGBİS) from courts in the cities where some of the plaintiffs are located.
During the hearing which began with identification, the tribunal chairman reminded the defendants of the charges made against them in the indictment.
“Your Honor, what happened is God’s will.”
Chatatay Altunel, the arrested defendant, who defended himself at the hearing that began with identification, said, “I am very sorry about the tragic accident that occurred. I am the owner of a technical metal business. I visited the renovation site before the first and second days of Ramadan and asked them to remove and remove the soundproofing material. I worked there for about 15 days. On the day of the incident, I received news that a tragic accident had occurred in Pendik and left. My staff did not try to escape on the day of the incident. Even if I am accused of negligence, I am not negligent or at risk. I would have lost my life in the fire because I would have arrived in an hour. I have been working as a metal technical company owner for 15 years, and such an accident has never happened before. During my detention, my business was on the verge of bankruptcy. I have an elderly and sick mother and I am responsible for taking care of her. As you understand, this is God’s will. I pray for your mercy. “I request my release,” he said.
Chachatai Altuner was asked by the plaintiff’s lawyer: “Didn’t you know that there was no renovation permit for that location?” The question was: “I didn’t know. Normally I would ask if there was a renovation permit, but this time I didn’t ask,” he said.
“When I left the office, everyone was running away with fire extinguishers.”
Defendant Kahraman Erdem, who was detained, stated in his defense: “We work mainly on metal design. I told Chachatai, “There is such a thing, let’s do it together.” We decided to do it together. I agree with Chachatai Altuner’s opinion. What we are doing is not actually a renovation. We are doing decoration work. We started working during Ramadan. When we started working, we noticed some insulating items to avoid trouble. We communicated this to the late site manager Sinan Bey. Then we looked at the insulation in the walls. We said that they might be flammable. They completely cleared them. I was in the office on the day of the incident.
The site manager, Mr. Sinan Yılmaz, suddenly stood up and started shouting. When I left the office, everyone ran with fire extinguishers. The office I was in had a door that led to a hallway. I left through there. Then the fire brigade came. We took the necessary precautions. The late Ahmet Sāvār was my employee. He was a disabled retiree, so he had no insurance. He said his money would be cut. I was giving every support to Mr. Ahmet. We had to close the workshop. We are in financial trouble. “Of course, I will demand my release,” he said.
From the indictment:
The indictment, prepared by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office, lists 29 people as “victims,” 27 as “accusers” and nine as “defendants.”
The indictment states that at around 12:35 a.m. on April 2, a fire brigade and medical teams were called to a workplace called “Masquerade,” which was operating on the minus 1 and minus 2 floors of a 16-storey building. The building is located on Gönenoğlu Street in Gayrettepe Yıldız Posta Caddesi, and they helped evacuate people trapped inside, resulting in the fire killing 29 people, it states.
The chargesheet, which includes the fire report, states that on investigation after extinguishing the fire, it was observed that extensive destruction and deformation due to burn damage occurred at a distance of about 15 metres from the entrance to the receiving section of the business premises and that in this area there were electrical equipment such as electric welding machines, electric metal cutting motors etc., used for renovation purposes and plugged into sockets, as well as various industrial tools and type oxygen cylinders.
The indictment states that the fire at the nightclub, where renovation works were being carried out, was foreseeable after assessing that the existing fire extinguishing system and fire cabinets were not functioning in coordination with the lack of emergency lighting and directional signs, the fire involved the use of flammable materials with an electric welding machine, and that “the suspects acted contrary to their duty of care.” “We have come to the conclusion that the foreseeable but undesirable consequences were caused by voluntary acts. The acts allegedly committed by the suspects contain a moral element in the dimension of conscious negligence.”
Kahraman Erdem, Çachatay Altuner, Şahzadeh Şekergümüş, Fatma Dortgül, Mehmet Memdu Ceylan, İsmet Şen, Dursun Çelik, Sibel Çelik and İbrahim Gücülçi were each sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for “causing” the death and injury of, and for multiple punishment by voluntary negligence, each of which carries a prison sentence of up to six months.
