Call for justice on the 6th anniversary of the Hendek fireworks disaster

Six years have passed since the major fireworks factory explosion that occurred in the Hendek district of Sakarya on July 3, 2020. The explosion of the factory, established on an approximately 15-acre plot in Yukarıçalıca Neighborhood, happened around 11.15 so fiercely in a short time that the sound of the blast was heard from about 50 kilometers away. As a result of this tragic event, 7 workers lost their lives, and 127 people had to apply to hospitals with various injuries. Following the disaster, a lawsuit was filed against the factory owners and officials on charges of 'causing the death and injury of multiple people by conscious negligence'. In the case heard at the Sakarya 1st Heavy Penal Court, prison sentences of varying ranges were handed down to the defendants, while the legal process continues at the Court of Cassation for the time being, and various release decisions have been on the agenda throughout the file.

On the sixth anniversary of the explosion, the families and relatives of the workers who lost their lives marched to the factory gate with heavy hearts and held a commemoration ceremony. Holding photos and banners of their loved ones, the families found an opportunity to voice their pain and search for justice to the public once again. In a press statement after the march, the families emphasized that this was not just an emotional commemoration, but a demand for justice that had not been forgotten. Lawyer Gülşen Uzuner, a relative of Muhammet Seyfi Çanakçı who lost his life in the explosion, made very harsh statements regarding the issue. Uzuner argued that what happened was not a simple accident but a planned massacre, stating that the lack of working conditions and security measures was the main culprit.

Lawyer Gülşen Uzuner criticized the situation harshly by claiming that 70 tons of explosives were stored illegally at the factory and production was carried out under unconditional conditions. Despite these heavy claims, Uzuner argued that the legal processes were insufficient and filed a criminal complaint again on the day of commemoration, demanding that everyone at fault be brought before justice. Speaking on behalf of the families, Uzuner stated that not only the employers but also the public officials who were on duty during the incident and failed to fulfill their inspection duty should be tried. According to them, no matter how much fault anyone has, they must face the law and account for themselves so that the families can satisfy their sense of justice even a little.

Muammer Yılmaz, the father of Halis Yılmaz, another 26-year-old worker who lost his life in the explosion, made striking and assertive speeches, revealing the internal dynamics of the factory and the malfunctions in the inspection mechanism. The father alleged that a retired police officer working as the security chief at the factory played a major role in what happened. According to the allegation, a retired police officer named F.Ç., who had previously gone to inspect this factory during his professional career, was employed as a security chief at the same factory after retiring in 2014. This situation is supported by the testimonies of the defendants who received penalties in court and the statements of factory workers; the defendants confessed that they took precautions because they were informed prior to the inspection.

According to Muammer Yılmaz's statements, retired police officer F.Ç. managed the chaos by informing the foremen and workers of the factory about the date of official inspections 2-3 days in advance, as a result of the relationship he established. Allegedly, when the inspection day arrived, workers would stop work in key areas of the factory, hide explosives, or move personnel in that area to other places. The father states that the area where his son and 4 others lost their lives was the area where such concealments were made and was targeted, and the workers there were warned and dispersed at that time. These revelations reveal that the families harbor deep anger and distrust towards the fundamental corruption in the occupational safety and inspection system.