ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey has charged 3 more people with manslaughter over the country’s worst mining disaster, including the CEO of the company operating the pit, reports said on Tuesday, May 20.
Can Gurkan, the chief executive of mining company Soma Komur, general manager Ramazan Dogru and a technician were the latest to face manslaughter charges over the disaster that claimed 301 lives, the private NTV television said.
A total of 8 officials from Soma Komur have now been charged over last Tuesday’s accident at the Soma mine that sparked anti-government protests in several towns and cities.
Gurkan and other company executives have denied any responsibility for the disaster.
The private Dogan news agency reported that police were also looking for the owner of the firm’s mother company Soma Holding, Alp Gurkan, for questioning.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Tuesday the accident would not be covered up and would be thoroughly investigated.
“The judicial probe will be launched. We will be monitoring it. Whoever is responsible will be brought to justice,” he told his ruling party lawmakers in parliament.
According to the International Labour Organization, Turkey had the highest number of work deaths in Europe in 2012, and the 3rd highest in the world. From 2002 to 2012, more than 1,000 Turkish miners have been killed.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), called for a minute of silence during an address to a group meeting of his party’s lawmakers.
He then read out the names of every miner killed in the Soma accident.
“This is a day of mourning for all of us,” he said.
‘Indisputable flaws’
Turkey’s parliament convened on Tuesday to debate the disaster.
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz pointed to “indisputable flaws” as the cause of the disaster, without laying any blame.
“If it’s not a natural disaster, there will always be flaws. If what had happened was a natural disaster, flaws could be subject to debate. But in this case, the flaws are indisputable,” Yildiz told parliament.
Erdogan had said that mining accidents were in “the nature of the business,” sparking furious accusations of indifference to the victims’ plight.
The CHP filed a motion of no confidence against Yildiz and Labor Minister Faruk Celik, but the ministers are likely to survive it as the ruling Justice and Development Party has a comfortable majority in parliament.
The lead prosecutor in the probe, Bekir Sahiner, on Sunday, May 18, ruled out that an electrical fault had triggered the fire that spread through the mine.
Rescue operations were suspended on Saturday as information from families suggested that all the bodies had been recovered.
Police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse large protests in Turkey’s main cities, as well as in Soma. – Rappler.com
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.