Turkish police detain Fernas miners on second day of hunger strike

Duvar English

Turkish police on Oct. 16 detained several of the miners who went on hunger strike to protest their employer Fernas Mining, owned by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Ferhat Nasıroğlu. The miners were on the second day of their sit-in and hunger strike at Kurtuluş Park in the capital Ankara province.

Police sealed off the area where the miners were staying with barriers. After being questioned and undergoing health checks, the miners were released.

Independent Miners' Union Organization Specialist Başaran Aksu commented on the detentions, stating, "Even if we face the same fate again, we will not back down." He added, "Two weeks ago, 24 of our friends were detained in Ankara. Last night, there was another detention."

The courts have previously handed miners and their families restraining orders, ordering them not to approach within 500 meters of the workplace.

Aksu continued, "There’s no reason for the miners to be afraid when they are in the right. Our friends are not afraid. We will persist today as well."

According to the union spokesperson, a miner had fainted and was taken to the hospital after the detentions. "His body was dehydrated due to the effects of the hunger strike. Miners constantly inhale gas and dust and their bodies wear down quickly underground. This is a risky decision for them. Therefore, we will continue our search for solutions, our objections, efforts, and determination."

Independent Miners' Union President Gökay Çakır also emphasized that the hunger strike and resistance in Ankara would continue until the Fernas workers' rights were secured. He said,

"We've been detained dozens of times. Detention won't discourage us. Workers' rights are important and valuable to us. 

Çakır addressed Turkish lawmakers and the public, saying, "These miners aren’t like ordinary citizens. They are people who rarely see the sun. They need to be treated with care. They see the sun for only four or five hours, unlike the 16 or eight hours that we do. The hunger strike is taking a toll on them, and interventions like these make their situation worse. Even if we’re detained hundreds of times, we won’t leave Ankara until we win this fight. Let the public, politicians, and employers know this."

The Independent Miners' Union announced on social media that miners and union leaders had been detained, issuing the following statement, "As the second day of our hunger strike ended, we were attacked by the police. We wanted to go to the ministries and Parliament, but you didn’t allow us. We wanted to go in front of Fernas, but you didn’t allow us. Now we are not even allowed to sit.

We come from underground in Soma, and we are not afraid of anyone. We call on everyone to raise their voices wherever they are."