Third Hearing on Isias Hotel Case Begins in Turkey

The third hearing on the Isias Hotel case will be held in Adıyaman, Turkey, on June 12. Families of the Angels-Champions will be present.

The hearing is scheduled to start at 10:00 AM at the High Criminal Court. A TRNC delegation flew to Adıyaman the day before via Istanbul, arriving at 7:30 PM. The delegation includes politicians, NGOs, families of the victims, and the country's Prime Minister, Ünal Üstel.

Before the hearing, TRNC President Ersin Tatar addressed the families of the Angels-Champions with words of support.

President Tatar made a video call to Ruşen Karakaya, the president of the “Angels-Champions Supporting Life” Association, who is also in Adıyaman.

In his video message, the Turkish Cypriot leader greeted the Cypriot delegation attending the hearing and emphasized the importance of the fight for justice in this case.

“My heart is with you. The pain of our lost children is immense, and this pain will never be forgotten. I hope our common cause will end in peace and justice will prevail,” said President Tatar.

To recap, the first hearing on the Grand Isias Hotel case, which collapsed during the earthquake on February 6, 2023, killing 72 people, including 35 Turkish Cypriots, was held at the High Criminal Court of Adıyaman in January. Following several days of hearings, the court issued several interim decisions.

The lawyers for the Angels-Champions families objected to these decisions. The second hearing took place on Friday, April 26, attended by about 100 Turkish Cypriots.

The “Angels-Champions” refers to members of a youth volleyball team from Famagusta who died in the earthquake in Turkey on February 6. The bodies of 34 people were recovered from the rubble.

The young athletes, aged 12-14, along with their parents and several teachers, had arrived in Adıyaman for a volleyball tournament a few days before the tragedy. Only four parents and the deputy head of the school survived the earthquake.