Afghan worker's dead body burned after beaten to death to 'prevent' disclosure of illegal mine in Turkey

Mustafa Özdemir / Gazete Duvar

Vezir Mohammad Nortain, an Afghan miner working in Turkey’s northern province of Zonguldak, was beaten to death after being unconscious in an illegally-run mine, and then his dead body was burned, suspects confessed. 

Accordingly, unknown suspects first beat Nortain and then burned him in a forest to avoid taking him to a hospital as it would reveal the mine’s illegal status.

The gendarmerie detained six people regarding the murder.

In his testimony, Serkan Kayabaş, one of the detainees, said that he saw Nortain, the father of three, lying on the ground and immediately informed the owners of the illegally-run mine, Enver Gideroğlu and Hakan Kornoş.

Kayabaş said that one of his friends performed a heart massage on Nortain and added that they put him on a wagon and took him out to get some air.

Kayabaş added that Hakan Kornoş, the mine owner, first did not want to take Nortain to the hospital in order to prevent the disclosure of mine’s illegal status but he agreed to do that as a result of their insistence. Then Nortains was put in the trunk of Kornoş's car in a blanket.

Moreover, Kayabaş also said that the owners of the mine strictly warned them not to say anything to anyone and threatened them by saying “I will find you and shoot you, if you even say a word.” He also admitted that they changed the angle of the cameras around the mine and burned all of Nortain's clothes upon the instruction of the mine owner.

Other sources told Gazete Duvar that Nortain had burns up to his waist, there were traces of assault on his face, blood was coming from his mouth, and there were fractures in various parts of his body. 

Moreover, the murder suspects confessed that they beat and killed the unconscious Afghan miner and then burned his dead body.

On the other hand, it came to light that the mine owner Hakan Kornoş was a former Gelik town mayor from the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Nortain’s funeral was held on Nov. 11 with the participation of his wife, children and beloved ones.

(English version by Alperen Şen)

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