Turkish energy minister praises death-trap Soma mine in old video

ISTANBUL

AA Photo

Video footage showing Energy Minister Taner Yıldız praising Soma Holding nine months before the death of at least 245 workers at the company’s mine has emerged.

In the video, Yıldız is seen praising the company for “prioritizing workers’ safety at its facilities,” during a speech at the inauguration ceremony of another mine in the same region also belonging to Soma Holding on July 9, 2013.

“We saw [at the mine] that as we spend money on safety-related systems, my worker brothers’ efficiency rises,” he told reporters while visiting the mine.

“We need to make sure our workers are free from concerns,” he says, while also describing the mine as an “exemplary one.”

Yıldız, who was greeted as “the father of the miner” by the workers, also applauded the company for using local mechanic systems, instead of importing machines.

“The private sector is now at a point that imports no mechanic systems from abroad. Not only that, they use parts that are indigenously produced in Turkey,” he said.

“Therefore, we need to make sure this will spread to all parts of mining sector gradually,” Yıldız added, saying that the government would work to maintain similar standards at all coal mines in Turkey.