An expert report on the İsias Hotel collapse, prepared by a committee from Dokuz Eylül University and Istanbul Technical University, was publicly shared yesterday following an initial assessment by the lawyers of the Association for the Survival of Champion Angels.
The report reveals that the building did not collapse sideways (due to a hammering effect) but instead fell forward, towards Atatürk Boulevard. It concludes that the collapse was unrelated to the earthquake’s force, as the spectral acceleration values recorded in the area during the earthquake did not exceed the design acceleration limits outlined in the 1998 Earthquake Regulation. This suggests that, had the building been constructed in line with these standards, it would have withstood the earthquake.
For the first time, the report also examines a critical design flaw involving the elevator shaft. A hollow block floor gap was created for the elevator without conducting necessary static calculations, which the report identifies as a major structural deficiency.
The report attributes the collapse to fundamental issues in the building’s construction, manufacturing, and inspection processes. Unlike previous analyses, it addresses the impact of an illegal additional floor, which Gazi University had initially claimed was unrelated to the earthquake’s impact. The report concludes that all defendants, including those not previously arrested, were responsible for the incident. Key individuals implicated include Ahmet Bozkurt, Architect Erdem Yıldız, and civil engineers Mehmet Göncüoğlu and Hasan Aslan, all of whom are now linked to significant errors contributing to the tragedy.
