Champion Angels Association to Appeal Isias Hotel Case Decision to Supreme Court

The Ankara-based Supreme Court process is expected to be lengthy, and for the association, this appeal represents the final domestic legal step before potentially applying to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Ruşen Yücesoylu Karakaya, president of the association who lost her daughters Selin and Serin in the Isias Hotel tragedy, and law professor Pervin Aksoy İpekçioğlu spoke to TAK about the case.

İpekçioğlu: Families Face a Long and Difficult Process

İpekçioğlu explained that after the appeal rejection, they have two weeks to file for Supreme Court review, which has already begun. She emphasized that the Supreme Court is the last domestic step before the ECHR. She detailed that the appeal petition will be sent to the 16th Gaziantep Regional Court, completing procedural requirements before the case is forwarded to the relevant Supreme Court criminal chamber for review. The chamber may overturn the decision by providing grounds based on the case facts.

She expressed hope the Supreme Court would overturn the Adıyaman court’s ruling but pledged to persist if it does not, adding that the ECHR would be approached once domestic remedies are exhausted.

İpekçioğlu also criticized the decision not to merge the Isias Hotel case with the public officials’ case, stating this separation was orchestrated by the Adıyaman Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. She explained the deliberate delay in taking testimony from officials ensured the two trials would proceed separately, preventing a comprehensive review of the full picture.

Karakaya: They Stole Our Children’s Future

Karakaya highlighted the families’ relentless struggle, stressing that their fight is not only for justice but also to cope with their grief. Despite hardships, the families remain united and determined. She shared that the association’s school project for children is progressing steadily.

“We will not be broken or discouraged,” Karakaya said, noting the support they receive from tourist guides’ families and the wider community. She praised the solidarity shown by government officials and the Bar Association in the Isias Hotel trial, contrasting it with the lack of such unity in the public officials’ case.

Karakaya warned society that the case is far from over and called for continued public support. She invited all officials to attend the second hearing of the public officials’ trial scheduled for July 16.