Crane accident in Istanbul cafe turns into lifelong nightmare for bank executive

A devastating accident in Istanbul left a senior bank executive with 71% permanent disability after a 15-kilogram iron piece fell from a crane on the 27th floor of a skyscraper, landing on her as she walked outside a cafe. Bahar Karakurum Ozkan, who had worked for 25 years as an executive in one of Türkiye’s leading banks, has now filed a criminal complaint and a compensation lawsuit seeking a total of ₺4 million ($105,205).

4 days in a coma, 6 surgeries, lifetime care

On Feb. 22, 2019, 46-year-old Ozkan left her office in Istanbul’s Sisli district for a brief coffee break at a cafe on the same street. Moments after she stood up from her seat to go to the restroom, a piece of metal—dislodged from a crane used for cleaning the exterior glass of a nearby skyscraper—fell directly onto her. The accident left Ozkan severely injured and in a coma for four days.

Since then, she has undergone six major surgeries and spent months in hospitals, with what doctors described as “no undamaged bones or organs” left in her body. Now reliant on at-home care, Ozkan has lost use of her right hand and arm, suffers from visible disfigurements, and lives with chronic pain and psychological trauma.

‘Not even an apology’

Despite the severity of the incident, Ozkan claims that no one from the responsible companies has apologized. Her legal team stated that the accident devastated not only her health but her family life as well.

The trauma led to the death of her heart patient father, who could not cope with her condition. Her husband lost his job after taking extended time off to care for her. According to the lawsuit, Ozkan is no longer able to dress herself, do her hair, or use a computer, or drive a car. As a mother, she cannot meet her child’s basic needs and continues to receive psychological treatment due to feelings of worthlessness over her altered appearance and physical condition.

“She is condemned to a life of complete dependence,” her lawyers wrote, demanding ₺3.75 million (around $99,000) in non-pecuniary damages and ₺185,000 (around $5,000) in material compensation.

Prosecutors seek prison time for 5 people

While the civil lawsuit continues in the Istanbul Civil Court of First Instance, the criminal investigation has reached an indictment. The prosecutor’s office has charged five people from the building’s management and technical teams.

According to an expert report cited in the indictment, Bugra T., Meltem K., and Yesim P., all employees of the real estate management company, were found to be primarily at fault. Two other individuals—technical staff member Medat A. and employee Serife G.—were deemed secondarily responsible.

The indictment seeks up to 1.5 years in prison for each defendant for the charge of “causing injury through negligence.” During the first hearing at the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance, the court decided to postpone proceedings to address procedural deficiencies.