A coal mine in Manisa, western Turkey, owned by an MP from the ruling party has come under scrutiny for exposing workers to hazardous conditions, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported, citing the Bianet news website.
The mine, operated by Fernas Mining — a company owned by ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmaker Ferhat Nasıroğlu — has been the focus of a series of videos released by the Independent Mine Workers’ Union (Bağımsız Maden İş).
Posted on X, the videos show miners working in flooded areas where the risk of electrocution and gas leaks is constant. The union alleges that the mine, which is consistently flooded with groundwater, has failed to implement basic safety precautions, despite the presence of electrical equipment in the waterlogged areas.
Additional footage shows workers handling dangerous chemicals without protective gear such as goggles, overalls or masks. The union claims that restricted areas, where hazardous chemicals are used, appear to be accessible to workers without the necessary precautions.
The union also raised alarms about environmental risks as well, claiming that contaminated groundwater is seeping into the soil and local water sources, endangering the health of nearby communities. “Thousands of people, especially the miners working in this water, are slowly being poisoned while no inspections are being conducted,” the statement said.
The lack of basic worker accommodations, such as a designated break area, was also documented. According to the union, miners were shown eating on top of chemical containers and exposed electrical cables. Workers were also filmed operating heavy machinery without the proper safety harnesses, putting them at risk of falls and electrocution.
The union called out Nasıroğlu directly, accusing him of violating occupational health and safety regulations. “Despite being an MP, boss Farhat Nasıroğlu is committing a crime by not implementing occupational health and safety measures or regulations, sending miners to their deaths,” the union stated.
The working conditions also led to an eight-day protest by workers after seven employees were dismissed for joining a union, highlighting the growing tensions over safety violations and labor rights at the mine.
A yearly report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on labor rights reveals that Turkey is one of the 10 worst countries in the world for working people.
People have been suffering from lax work safety standards for decades in Turkey, where workplace accidents are nearly a daily occurrence. In the worst work-related accident in the country’s history, 301 miners died in an explosion in Manisa’s Soma district in May 2014.
A total of 878 workers died in workplace accidents in Turkey in the first half of this year, according to a report by the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG).