HDP and CHP Bring Death of 3rd Airport Worker into Parliamentary Agenda

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The workers of the 3rd İstanbul Airport, who have been protesting their bad working conditions and occupational homicides, have announced that around 400 workers have lost their lives since the construction of the airport started.

Upon this announcement, the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Security has made a statement regarding the alleged death of almost 400 workers at the construction of the airport as well as the allegations that these deaths have been covered up by giving money to the families of the deceased.

The Ministry has claimed that 27 workers have lost their lives. However, it was reported in the news that one other worker lost his life by falling into a manhole on October 15 and his dead body was found on October 17.

While it is still not clear how many workers have died at the construction site of the 3rd İstanbul Airport, İzmir MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Serpil Kemalbay and İstanbul MP of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Ali Şeker have brought the issue into parliamentary agenda.

They have submitted parliamentary inquiries to be responded by Minister of Family, Labor and Social Security Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk.

In their inquiries, the MPs have emphasized that no official statement has been made regarding the occupational homicide at the airport and asked the identity of the worker, whose death body has recently been found.

Kemalbay: Have the measures been taken?

Kemalbay has directed a series of questions to the minister including:

* Has your ministry launched an investigation into the death of the worker, which was reported in the news on October 20, 2018?

* Has this occupational accident been reported to the Social Security Institution? If not, has an administrative fine been imposed?

* Is it true that the dead body of the worker remained in the well for days? What is his cause of death?

* In the wake of a statement by your Ministry regarding the death of only 27 workers, what measures have been taken before and after these deaths and what sanctions have been imposed on the employers?

Şeker: A period when the powerful crushes the rightful

Emphasizing that "we have been going through a period, when the powerful crushes the rightful, Şeker has also directed a series of questions such as:

* Is it true that the authorities at the airport construction have attempted to cover up the alleged occupational homicide?

* How many workers of ours have lost their lives in occupational homicides during the construction of the airport?

* How many workers of ours have had occupational accidents during the construction of the airport?

* Are there any other workers, who have got missing while working at the airport and whose fate and whereabouts have been unknown?

(EMK/SD)