Turkish government have initiated a large-scale inspection of the hotel sector following the tragic fire at a hotel in the Kartalkaya resort. Following the inspection, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism ordered the immediate closure of 50 hotels in Antalya that do not meet safety requirements, MIR 24 reports.

According to the DHA agency, the reason for the closure was the lack of mandatory documentation for running a hotel business, including fire safety certificates. All of these facilities will be sealed in the near future.

Istanbul Governor Davut Gul announced the expansion of inspections to all public buildings and commercial facilities. Particular attention will be paid to the availability of licenses from the Ministry of Tourism – hotels without the appropriate permits are subject to closure.

The authorities' decisive measures followed the tragedy on January 21 at a resort in Bolu Province, where 78 people died in a fire. The investigation revealed the absence of basic fire protection equipment at the hotel – alarms, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. Of the 238 guests, many were trapped in the fire, trying to escape through the windows. Of the 28 people detained, 19 were arrested in connection with the case, including the hotel owner, who blamed the staff – the chef, electrician and security. Firefighters arrived at the scene only 45 minutes later, when a significant part of the building was engulfed in flames.