Mining accidents seem to be Turkey’s destiny. Deadly disasters caused by methane gas explosions, fires, cave-ins and flooding occur almost on a yearly basis. More than 3,000 miners have been killed in Turkey since 1941, including 78 in 2012 and 95 in 2013.
The main reason behind the tragedies is the inadequate level of safety measures in workplaces. In October 2013, lawmakers of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), backed by colleagues from the two other opposition parties in parliament, submitted a proposal to create a parliamentary inquiry commission to look into the rising number of accidents. The proposal, spearheaded by CHP deputy Ozgur Ozel, called for an inquiry into the reasons and persons responsible for deadly accidents in Soma, a region dotted with coal mines in western Turkey. The proposal, which made it to the general assembly only on April 29, was voted down by Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers, who hold a comfortable majority in parliament.