Trial begins over hotel collapse that killed 24 Turkish Cypriot children

The trial of 11 suspects held responsible for deaths of 24 Turkish Cypriot children when a hotel they were staying in collapsed began on Wednesday.

The Isias hotel in the Turkish city of Adiyaman collapsed on February 6 last year during the earthquakes which hit the region.

The children, along with 11 teachers and coaches, made up the Famagusta Turk Maarif Koleji (TMK) school volleyball team and were in Adiyaman for a tournament. Following their deaths, the team received the nickname “champion angels”.

A total of 11 people stand accused of “causing death by conscious negligence” at Adiyaman’s third High criminal court, and, if found guilty, could face a maximum of 22 and a half years in prison.

The trial began at 9am local time, 8am in Cyprus, with the 11 defendants identified via video link to the courtroom.

Before the trial began, the large Cypriot contingent which had travelled to Adiyaman to watch the trial gathered outside the courthouse.

Rusen Karakaya, whose daughter Selin was among those killed, and who is now the chairwoman of the “Keeping the champion angels alive association”, spoke outside the courthouse.

“We are together today to seek justice in this place which was destroyed by the February 6 earthquake, and which became thousands of people’s grave,” she said.

She added: “Our search for justice is not only so the defendants can be punished, but also for justice for those who lost loved ones, whose lives were torn from them, and whose homes were destroyed.”

“Every single person who created the Isias hotel is guilty. All of them should be tried for murder. On the day the law shows its superiority over these dishonourable, irresponsible, murderous mentalities, justice will be done in Turkey and future generations will live in greater safety,” she said.

“We are in Adiyaman today to seek justice. We are here for our children, teachers, friends, and all the earthquake victims who came to this town for only five days with their little hearts and love of sports, and who were sent home in coffins.”

The north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel, who travelled to Adiyaman on Tuesday evening, said outside court that nearly 100 Turkish Cypriots travelled to the city to witness the trial.

“I am here as prime minister. Our ministers, our leader of the opposition, our MPs, our bar association, and our prime ministerial team is also here. Representatives of the families of the children who died are here. This team is a concrete indicator of what this means to our country.”

University reports into the Isias hotel’s structure showed that supporting columns at the hotel had been cut, and that sand and gravel from a river had been used in its construction.

In addition, it was learned that that an entire extra floor had been illegally built on top of the already compromised structure in 2016. The floor was subsequently legalised during a “zoning amnesty” in 2018.