The investigation into the fire at a nightclub on 16 Yıldız Posta Street in Gayrettepe Gönenoğlu Street continues. Statements given by the suspects to the judge have been obtained. One of the suspects, Fatma Dörtgül, stated that she worked as a teacher at an educational center and mentioned that her brother-in-law, suspect Şahzade Şekergümüş, had gone bankrupt. Dörtgül claimed to have no knowledge about the company and denied any involvement in the alleged crime.
Şahzade Şekergümüş, on the other hand, did not wish to add any new statement to his previous statements to the police and prosecutor. He requested to be released, stating that he had a permanent residence. Another suspect, İsmet Şen, who claimed to have worked as a worker at the establishment and said that his position as responsible manager had ended 6 months prior, also denied any wrongdoing.
Mehmet Menduh Ceylan, in his testimony, mentioned that he was inside the club during the incident and saw two people extinguishing the fire. He explained the difficulties he faced in trying to leave the building and denied any intention to cause harm. Suspect Dursun Çelik also denied the accusations against him and expressed his intention to take care of a deceased colleague’s 15-day-old child.
During his interrogation, suspect İbrahim Bildirici, who claimed to be a technical person, stated that he did not have any authority other than calling for the repair of faulty materials. He emphasized that the incident was not due to any fault of his own and requested to be released under judicial control if not set free immediately.
Eight out of the 11 suspects, including Çağatay Altunel, İsmet Şen, Kahraman Erdem, Sibel Çelik, Şahzade Şekergümüş, Dursun Çelik, İbrahim Bildirici, and Mehmet Menduh Ceylan have been arrested on charges of causing multiple deaths and injuries due to negligence. Fatma Dörtgül, on the other hand, has been released under judicial control with a travel ban and weekly check-ins to the nearest police station. One suspect, a furniture maker, had been previously released following police procedures.
In the tragic fire that occurred during renovation on April 2nd, 29 people lost their lives, while 2 others were injured. The investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office led to the detention of several individuals involved in the management and maintenance of the nightclub. Further investigations are ongoing, including the gathering of information regarding permits, work authorization, and inspections during the nightclub’s operations. Suspicions have been raised regarding the actions and responsibilities of government and municipal officials in this matter.
