Pressure on Turkey Opposition Grows With Probe Into Party Leader
Prosecutors started the probe into Republican People's Party Chairman Ozgur Ozel late Sunday on allegations of insulting the president and threating public officials in a speech in which he criticized the detention of the three of the party's mayors, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
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Associated Press
24 minutes ago
- Associated Press
High-profile trial for deadly hotel fire that killed 78 opens in Turkey
ISTANBUL (AP) — A total of 32 defendants went on trial on Monday over a deadly fire that tore through a popular ski resort hotel, killing 78 people and injuring 133 others. The Jan. 21 fire hit the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel at the Kartalkaya ski resort in the province of Bolu during the winter school break. Dozens of children taking family vacations were among the victims. The tragedy, which saw guests and staff jump out of windows to escape smoke and flame-filled rooms or dangle sheets out of windows to lower themselves down, sent shockwaves across Turkey and sparked widespread calls for accountability over negligence and safety violations. Thirteen of the defendants face potential jail terms of 1,998 years each on charges of killing or wounding with possible intent, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency, citing a 98-page indictment from the Bolu Public Prosecutor's Office. The 19 others are charged with negligently causing death or injury, for which they could be jailed for 22½ years. With 210 plaintiffs and 32 defendants involved in the high-profile case, the trial is taking place at a sports center in Bolu that has been temporarily converted into a 700-seat courtroom to accommodate the proceedings, Anadolu reported. On Monday, family members and friends of the victims staged a demonstration outside the sports center, holding up posters of their loved ones and demanding justice. 'This is not neglect, it is murder,' the Anadolu Agency quoted Zeynep Kotan, the mother of 17-year-old Omur Kotan, who lost her life in the fire, as saying. The fire started at 3.17 a.m. local time as a spark from an electric grill plate in the fourth-floor kitchen lit a nearby garbage bin before melting the hose of a liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, and igniting the gas. Staff first noticed the flames at 3.24 a.m. and called the emergency services but within two minutes the blaze had 'exceeded controllable limits,' according to the indictment. The blaze took hold of the wooden ceiling, accelerated by the flow of air from a door left open by escaping kitchen staff. The indictment says that inadequate measures on the stairs and elevators and the lack of a smoke extraction system caused flammable and toxic fumes to swiftly spread to the upper floors, filling corridors with smoke. The lack of emergency alarms, faulty fire detection and warning systems and insufficient staff fire training meant the hotel's 238 guests were not alerted to the blaze in time. Escape routes through the stairways and emergency exits were not properly fitted and there was no sprinkler system, turning the hotel's stairwells and life shafts into 'chimneys' for the smoke to quickly reach the upper floors. The indictment adds that the absence of emergency lighting, fire escape signs and alternative exits stopped the safe evacuation of guests. The 14-day trial will hear that legal responsibility lay with owner Halit Ergul and company board members, including his wife and daughters, and managers. Also facing the higher punishment are Bolu's deputy mayor and deputy fire chief. Those facing the lesser charges consist of hotel staff, inspection officials and maintenance workers. The hotel first opened in 1999 and has been operated by Ergul's company since 2007. In a statement to prosecutors made within days of the fire, Ergul said the hotel was checked for fire safety every two years by government-authorized inspectors before receiving a tourism certificate, allowing it to operate. The most recent certificate was due to expire in March. The hotel's last inspection by the Culture and Tourism Ministry was conducted five weeks before the fire, Ergul said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man stabbed to death at Oshkosh's Menominee Park after large fight, teen arrested
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – Authorities launched a homicide investigation after a man was found stabbed to death near Oshkosh's Menominee Park on Saturday night. Officers with the Oshkosh Police Department say the stabbing happened inside Menominee Park in the 1200 block of East Irving Avenue in Oshkosh. Man flown to hospital with life-threatening injuries after head-on collision in Outagamie County Around 11 p.m. on July 5, officers were initially called to a crash in the 900 block of East Irving Avenue, where they found a man with multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Further investigation revealed a fight taking place between 'several' people who were at Menominee Park. Officers say that is when the fight escalated, leading to the man being stabbed. The Fond du Lac Police Department later helped to arrest a 19-year-old man from Fond du Lac for first-degree intentional homicide. Firework goes off in basement of Sheboygan County home, one injured Anyone with relevant information on the deadly stabbing is asked to contact Detective Krueger at the Oshkosh Police Department at (920) 236-5700. Local 5 will provide an update to this story when more details are released. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Death of scientist in Dundee ‘being treated as murder' as man charged
The death of a scientist in Dundee is being investigated as a murder and a 20-year-old man has been charged, police said. Police Scotland on Sunday named the victim as Dr Fortune Gomo, 39, who was a mother living in the area. Officers were called to a report that a woman had been seriously injured in the city's South Road at around 4.25pm on Saturday. She was treated by paramedics but pronounced dead at the scene. 'A post-mortem has taken place and her death is now being treated as murder,' the force said on Sunday. Dr Gomo's high school and university friend said her 'brilliance in the classroom was only matched by her emotional intelligence'. Police have launched a probe into the death (stock pic) (Image: PA) Angela Machonesa studied with Dr Gomo at Chinhoyi High School and the National University of Science and Technology, which are both in Zimbabwe, south-east Africa. In a social media post, she said: 'She was the kind of person you'd go to when you needed clarity, not just of mind, but of heart. She listened. She cared. She uplifted. 'No wonder she went on to earn her PhD. It was only natural. Her path was written in the stars long ago. To serve. To lead. To heal. And she was doing just that. 'But now, that dream, our Fortune's dream, has been violently, senselessly, stolen from us all. She added: 'A child will now grow up without the love and presence of a mother. A family will mourn a daughter who once lit up their home with hope and promise.' Ms Machonesa said she and Dr Gomo went their separate ways after their studies. Dr Gomo was an environmental and water resources scientist and her specialisms included water resources management, environmental sustainability, and policy. According to social media, she was employed by Scottish Water in water resources planning. She was awarded a PhD in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Dundee. Her doctorate looked at the links between the environment and policy making in the Zambezi river basin, particularly in Malawi. Professor Nigel Seaton, University of Dundee's interim principal and vice-chancellor, said the death of the former research assistant 'is a truly shocking event in our city and for our university community', BBC News reported. He added: 'It will be particularly distressing for those who knew and worked with Fortune throughout her time here at the university, and for all of those in our close-knit community of African colleagues and students.' A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal and the man arrested is to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court on Monday. READ MORE: 'Life-changing' work at university selected for prestigious science showcase Dundee University roiled as interim finance chief quits after eight days in job Scottish families vote V&A Dundee as one of best museums in UK Detective Superintendent Peter Sharp, the officer in charge of the inquiry, said his thoughts are with Dr Gomo's family. 'They are being supported by specialist officers and I would ask that their privacy is respected,' he said. Det Supt Sharp added: 'Our enquiries are continuing and I remain satisfied that the incident poses no wider risk to the public. 'At this early stage of the investigation we are following a number of lines of inquiry.' He said he is 'acutely aware of content circulating on social media' and urged members of the public not to speculate on the circumstances of the incident. There will be an increased police presence in the area. Witnesses and anyone with information on the incident have been asked to contact the force on 101 quoting incident number 2283 of July 5 2025. They can also speak to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
