generalspeaking

"The Flaws Are Indisputable"

"If a disaster is not a natural one, there is always a flaw. If what had happened was a natural disaster, flaws could be subject to debate. But in this case, the flaws are indisputable."
"We see this accident as a very important threat. We must bring a new dimension to this prosecution in comparison with those that were made before."
"The Soma accident has to be examined in terms of human, political, administrative, judicial and technical monitoring."
Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız

That gobbledygook is no joke. It is mean to represent a definitive explanation for what went wrong, when it went wrong, why it went wrong, and above all why the government has no responsibility in the matter. Although the devastating accident certainly had its genesis in the government's primary disinterest in tightening up safety procedures in all its mines, given the general poor safety record of Turkish mines, Minister Yildiz holds that the disaster is considered by the government to be "above politics."

Which will doubtless be of immense comfort to the grieving families. The criticism that has been sparked by the government's reaction relating to accountability and mine safety checks has embroiled Minister Yildiz in the centre of criticism, along with Labour Minister Faruk Celik. Both are in bad public odour, alongside the entire government. The performance of Prime Minister Erdogan's senior aide in demonstrating his rancour at the boldness of a protester kicking at one of the vehicles in the official government delegation has further endeared the government to the people.

The absurdity of Yusuf Yerkel, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's adviser showing up at the Ankata Ataturk Training and Research Hospital complaining about a pain in his right knee resulted in a medical examination and a subsequent report by Dr. Servan Gokhan concluding that the "fall" that had injured Yerkel caused soft tissue trauma and occasioned a medical leave.


"There are 10x10 oedema bruises and soft tissue panicula on the right knee, and bruises and soft tissue swelling on the left shoulder and front of the chest. The patient has been diagnosed with soft tissue trauma as there is sensitivity with leg and arm movements and difficulty with walking." No word, however, on the medical condition of the protester whom security forces held down for the convenience of Mr. Yerkel kicking the hell out of him.

Turkish reports have revealed that sensors indicated high levels of toxic gas within the coal mine in Soma days prior to the disaster that took 301 workers' lives on May 13. Company officials, it would seem, took no notice and therefore no remedial action. Two more people have been arrested in relation to the mine fire, so the number of suspects facing charges of negligent death has been raised to five.

They are executives and supervisors at Soma Komur Isletmeleri A.S. Originally 25 people had been detained in the probe, with several released without charges, then an additional eight released who could be charged at a later date. The company's CEO, Can Gurkan is being questioned. Turkish newspapers report that prosecutors and inspectors looking into the worst mining disaster in Turkey's history took possession of data from the mine.

That data indicated that sensors warned of high gas levels as early as two days before the fire. No records were made of those high levels on log books, and no precautionary activity took place, consequently. Miners who survived the disaster informed The Associated Press that supervisors ignored high gas levels, failing to take reactive precautionary measures, accusing the company of disinterest in safety concerns. Moreover, that government inspections were purely superficial.

Both government and mining officials insist that the mine was inspected regularly, safety standards were high, and negligence was not a factor in the fire. Investigations into the matter have been promised by government authorities, and a pledge that anyone found to be negligent would be punished has been a government assurance. In Turkey's three largest cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, police have broken up protests against poor mine safety in Soma.

Calling on the government to resign as they marched Monday in Ankara, close to two thousand university students wore hardhats and risked being chastened by police wielding water cannons, as the students accused the government of being the "killer of miners". While other protesters lit candles for the miners, shouting "We will burn the murderers with the same coals that swallowed the miners", and "This is not working accident, it is murder", and "Miners didn't die; they were killed."

Labels: Calamity, Resource Extraction, Security, Turkey

posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, May 21, 2014