16 workers were trapped in the wreckage in a copper mine in Siirt. 6 bodies of dead miners are found; bodies of 10 workers are still not recovered.
Minister of Health, Recep Akdağ, visited the copper mine in Şirvan district of Siirt; where 16 workers disappeared in wreckage. Akdağ got information from rescue crew, who still work for finding bodies of miners. Akdağ also visited the site and observed the search operations.
After this short visit, Akdağ stated that "Research and rescue operations continue seriously. It will not be good if I say anything on this subject. I mean, I did not notice any negligence. However, as I mentioned, the decision should be made by administrative investigation and prosecution by experts and authorities. We know only focus on our brothers trapped in wreckage and our job is this at this moment."
On the other hand, six people were detained and one was arrested on charges of negligence.
GOVERNMENT DOES NOT TAKE OCCUPTIONAL MURDER SERIOUSLY
Negligence in work sites, especially in mines, is a serious problem for workers in Turkey. In Soma disaster, which took place in 2014, 301 miners were killed; and it was revealed that necessary precautions, both for preventing such disasters and for increasing the chance of survival in such disasters were not taken, in order to decrease the costs and increase the profits.
Recep Akdağ's attitude towards the occupational murder is not new for Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) politicians. Just like Akdağ, who tried to normalize the occupational murder in the very moment he arrived to the scene, other politicians of AKP always justified the capitalists and working sites without necessary safety measures. Government representative also habitually distract attention away from state's responsibility in such occupational murders.
Occupational murder took occasionally take place in Turkey due to lack of control and efficient judiciary system. Even when some responsible people among the owners and directors of the related companies are put on trial, the lawsuits take years and the reaction by public opinion is weakened. For example, the trial about Soma disaster still continues, without any effective punishment for the people who are responsible for 301 lives.
Still, the most explicit and unforgettable explanation on the side of AKP government, reflecting how AKP evaluates occupational murders and why they cannot prevent such murders, came from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2014, after the Soma disaster. Erdoğan gave examples of mine disasters from 1800s and said that "these always happen, this is in nature of mining".
