Second Hearing in Grand Isias Public Officials Case Set for Wednesday in Adıyaman

Families of the victims continue to push for justice and are demanding a landmark ruling in the public officials case, while also appealing the verdict in the main trial to upgrade charges from “conscious negligence” to “probable intent.”

The defendants in the public officials case include former Deputy Mayor and Head of Project Control Osman Bulut, Permit Office Chief Bilal Balcı, Director of Planning and Zoning Mehmet Salih Alkayış, municipal workers Abdurrahman Karaaslan and Fazlı Karakuş, and former Zoning Director Yusuf Gül. The officials are accused of issuing building permits and failing to carry out proper oversight during the construction and renovation of the hotel.

The indictment, filed by the Adıyaman Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in February, charges the six officials with “conscious negligence.” During the first hearing in April, the court rejected calls for the suspects’ arrest and ruled for their continued release under judicial supervision. A request for testimony from the former mayor of Adıyaman was also denied.

Wednesday’s hearing is expected to focus on a new expert report from Dokuz Eylül University, should it be available.

Efforts to merge the public officials case with the main Grand Isias trial, which is ongoing at the Adıyaman 3rd High Criminal Court, were rejected earlier due to the pending appeals process.

Families and Officials to Attend

Families of the victims, along with a delegation including Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, government ministers, members of parliament, Bar Association representatives, and journalists, will travel to Adıyaman to attend the hearing.

Ruşen Yücesoylu Karakaya, who lost her only daughter Selin in the collapse and now leads the Champion Angels Association, told the Turkish News Agency (TAK) that the legal process has become increasingly difficult for grieving families. “We relive this pain every second of every day. We will never accept impunity. Those responsible must receive the heaviest sentences—life imprisonment,” she said.

Karakaya expressed frustration that the cases were not merged, arguing that a combined trial could have set a legal precedent. She also criticized the Adıyaman Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly delaying the public officials case to protect those involved. “This building wouldn’t exist if those officials hadn’t signed off on it. It’s proven that the building permit was forged, and the elevator issue speaks for itself,” she said.

Karakaya also confirmed that the families have appealed the initial verdict in the main trial, aiming for a reclassification of the charges to “probable intent,” which would carry heavier sentences.

Source: Halkın Sesi