Explosion in the steelworks in Aliağa, western Turkey, with 19 dead and many injured: Not the first industrial murder in the HABAŞ industrial group

“…The explosion occurred on Monday morning during ongoing operations. According to initial information from the Izmir Governor's Office, a ceiling crane broke off during a casting process and fell into an industrial furnace. The resulting explosion caused a fire and dense clouds of smoke rose above the factory premises. It was the third fatal incident in just a few weeks. In October, temporary worker Hakan Doğan fell from a height of around eight meters and died. On November 5, 20-year-old temporary worker Eyüp Eğinli died when an explosion occurred while inflating a tire on a work machine. Together with the victims of the recent disaster, 20 employees at HABAŞ lost their lives within a short period of time…”ANF ​​contribution from November 10, 2026 (“Hatimoğulları: This is not the first industrial murder at HABAŞ”) and more information about the ongoing protests and the repression against them:

• Protest against deadly working conditions at HABAŞ: “Let’s break the silence!”
  “Trade unionists and left-wing organizations protested in Istanbul after a deadly explosion at the HABAŞ steel plant in Aliağa. They accuse the company and the government of putting profits over human lives.
  After the explosion in the HABAŞ steel plant in Aliağa, western Turkey, with 18 deaths and numerous injuries, trade unionists, left-wing parties and youth organizations protested in front of another of the company's plants in Istanbul. With a massive police presence, they denounced the systematic disregard for occupational safety, the lack of state controls and the impunity for fatal accidents at work. The protesters made it clear that the deaths were not unavoidable accidents, but the result of an economic system in which the profit interests of companies take precedence over the lives of employees.A banner read: “HABAŞ’s coffers are filled with workers’ blood – they will give account.” The participants chanted, among other things, “We don’t want to die at work,” “The government is watching, the workers are dying,” and “This is not fate, it’s murder.” In addition to the HABAŞ Group, the ruling AKP party was also blamed for the deaths in chants.
  Lawyer reports recurring deaths
  Lawyer Lütfi Sabri Batı, who represents workers in the mining, metal, port and logistics industries in the Aliağa industrial region, described the life-threatening working conditions in the companies there. The day before, he and a delegation visited the HABAŞ factory where the explosion occurred.
  "In this rolling mill, workers die because they fall into melting ladles with steel at a thousand degrees and burn. That's why the workers are no longer identifiable today," Batı explained. According to him, there is a fatal work accident at the plant almost every month in which employees burn to death. How many people have died there in the past 20 years is not even systematically recorded.Batı blamed political and economic connections for the lack of reappraisal. (…)
  At least 1,930 workers died at work
  In a joint press release, the organizations involved called for breaking the silence about the deadly working conditions. Behind the deaths in factories and other companies are excessive production standards, the greed of entrepreneurs and a lack of controls. The government is legally protecting the system of exploitation created by privatization, temporary work and subcontracting, the statement said. Instead of fulfilling their obligation to enforce safe working conditions through effective controls in factories, mines and construction sites, the relevant ministries would issue new laws to intensify attacks on the working class.
  Citing data from the independent Council for Occupational Safety and Health (ISIG), the organizations pointed out that at least 1,930 employees have already died at work this year. (…)
  Call for an independent investigation and resignation of the Labor Minister
  The protesters demanded a full investigation into the explosion and deaths at the HABAŞ plant. Any failures that resulted in the death or injury of employees would have to be disclosed. Covering up evidence or protecting those responsible should not be allowed. In addition to CEO Mehmet Rüştü Başaran, all government officials involved must also be held accountable. The Türk Metal union responsible for the company was also sharply criticized. She did not assume her responsibility to protect employees and instead oriented herself towards the interests of the company management. The organizations called on Türk Metal to accept their shared responsibility.
  At the same time, they demanded the resignation of the Turkish Labor and Social Minister Vedat Işıkhan, whom they accused of passively accepting the ongoing deaths in the workplace…”ANF ​​report from November 11, 2026  with photos and video
• 19 workers were killed: Arrests at HABAŞ – Workers demanded bereavement leave
  “After the explosion at HABAŞ Demir Çelik in Aliağa near İzmir, which killed 19 workers, workers protested and were forced to continue producing and shipping goods on the rubble. More than 20 workers who demanded five days of paid bereavement leave were arrested following an intervention by the gendarmerie.
  After the explosion at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory in Aliağa near İzmir, which killed 19 workers, workers began demonstrating in front of the factory to both mourn their colleagues and demand safe working conditions. When early shift workers were asked to hand over their cell phones, protests outside the factory escalated.
  The workers, who defied orders to hand over their mobile phones to security while clean-up work at the factory site was ongoing, demanded five days of paid bereavement leave.  The demonstration featured slogans such as “Management, resign!” and “Turk Metal, stand down!” chanted. The gendarmerie intervened when the workers blocked the street in front of the factory with the words “We don't want to die anymore.” More than 20 workers were arrested during the operation.
  On the fourth day after the explosion, workers who came to the factory resisted the employer's demands by refusing to hand over their cell phones. The workers who lost their colleagues and said they were unable to attend their funerals and condolences from their families demanded five days of paid leave and said they wanted to spend the time grieving. The workers gathered in front of the factory announced that they would wait until their demands were met and blocked the road.
  One of the workers described the working conditions in the factory and their demands as follows: "When the workers came to their workplace in the morning, they were asked to leave their cell phones outside on the employer's instructions. As a result, our colleagues here resisted. They decided not to hand over their cell phones. At the same time, they made a legitimate demand. 'Our colleagues died, we couldn't even go to their funerals and express our condolences to their families. That's why we want to be given five days of paid leave and have this time recognized as a period of mourning," they said. Cleanup work is still ongoing inside. While this work is ongoing, no one from the outside knows what is going on there. On the one hand, the workers are forced to work, on the other hand, the clean-up work is taking place. It is clear that the workers no longer have confidence in the HABAŞ management.”…” Turkish.Article by Aycan Karadağ from November 14, 2026 in BirGün Gazetesi (machine translated) with photos and:
  • In the palace system, the worker is destined to die
    “The fact that production at HABAŞ was not interrupted, the house arrest sentence imposed on the employer and the arrest of the workers have once again revealed the wheel of exploitation of capital that reduces human life to profit calculations. While the families reacted to the house arrest of the employer Başaran with the words “This punishment is too harsh, it would be better to give him a reward,” the outcry rose at the funeral of Abdullah Kılıç: “Finally tell the rich ‘Stop’!”
    As calls for justice for the workers who died in the explosion at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory in Aliağa near İzmir grow louder, the HABAŞ explosion has revealed the character of the labor regime that the AKP created in collaboration with capital. While the palace regime remained silent over the workers' deaths, production continued at the factory, which became the grave of 19 workers.
    20 workers who refused to work and stood up for their right to life in front of the factory were arrested after a police operation. The employer Mehmet Rüştü Başaran will serve the house arrest sentence imposed on him in his villa…” Turkish.Comment by Ebru Çelik from November 14, 2026 in BirGün Gazetesi (machine translated) 
• The gendarmerie attacked the HABAŞ workers demonstrating in front of the factory; numerous workers were beaten and arrested
  “After the November 9 explosion at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory in Aliağa District of İzmir, the gendarmerie attacked workers who demonstrated in front of the factory and protested against the ban on bringing mobile phones into the factory; numerous workers were beaten and arrested
  After the explosion that occurred at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory in Aliağa District of İzmir on November 9, the ban on cell phones imposed by the factory management was met with opposition from workers.The workers were informed via a loudspeaker announcement when they started work that morning that they had to hand in their cell phones at the security checkpoint on the instructions of Mehmet Rüştü Başaran, the chairman of HABAŞ, who is under house arrest as part of the investigation into the explosion. The workers responded with protest, closed the street in front of the factory to traffic and began a sit-in strike. The gendarmerie intervened in the action; numerous workers as well as Yücel Memiş from the Ege Workers' Union were beaten and arrested.
  Journalists were also attacked by the gendarmerie
  Evrensel newspaper reporters Hatice Çoruk and Emirhan Durmaz, who covered the workers' action, were also supposed to be arrested by the gendarmerie. Durmaz's arm was twisted; However, thanks to the intervention of other journalists who observed the incident, no arrest was made by the gendarmerie.
  Workers demand paid bereavement leave and independent review
  In a statement issued by workers during their sit-in, they demanded five days of paid bereavement leave for their colleagues who died in the explosion, an inspection of the factory by independent institutions such as the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers, and the suspension of production until the necessary health and safety measures are in place. It was emphasized that workers from all departments of the factory need to be involved in the inspection and health and safety processes and noted the importance of drawing on workers' knowledge and experience when identifying risks in the workplace. It was also alleged that factory management canceled the 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. shift to prevent greater participation in the protest.” TurkishAnnouncement from ANKA from November 13, 2026 in Sendika.org (machine translated) 
• “The workers in the explosion
  died in the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory…
  The workers' relatives suffer nervous breakdowns; the brother of one of the victims set himself on fire in front of the factory!
  These nervous breakdowns are not isolated cases, but the consequences of a societal nervous breakdown! #KazaDegilCinayet“Turkish.Post by Zülal Kalkandelen from November 12th, 2026 on bsky with the photos of those who died in the accident (#KazaDegilCinayet = Not an accident but murder)
• HABAŞ demonstrations at ODTÜ and Istanbul University: “As long as workers die, there will be no peace for employers!”
  “ODTÜ and Istanbul University students gathered to demand accountability for the workers who died in the explosion at the HABAŞ factory in Aliağa..” Turkish.Report from November 11, 2026 in Sendika.Org with photos
• The inscription “HABAŞ” on the wreath sent to the funeral was torn by the workers
  “Smart Solar workers, including the deceased worker's brother, tore up the sign…” Turkish.Report from November 10, 2026 in Sendika.Org  with video
• Statements by Trade Unions on the Massacre of Workers at HABAŞ: “Only the unity of workers will change this system of death and exploitation”
  “An explosion at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory killed 17 workers and injured 13 others, two of them seriously. After the massacre, unions and trade union associations issued statements
  An explosion at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory in Aliağa near İzmir killed 17 workers and injured 13 others, two of them seriously.
  After the massacre, unions and trade union associations issued statements. These statements pointed out that this was the third fatal industrial accident at HABAŞ in the last three weeks and emphasized that the cause of this massacre was the profiteering of capital, which considers the health and safety of workers as a cost, and a lack of controls. The explanations are as follows…” Turkish.Post from November 10, 2026 in Sendika.Org (machine translated) 
• The Forces for Labor and Democracy in Ankara in front of the HABAŞ building: “We don’t want to die at work”
  “After the explosion at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory in Aliağa near İzmir, which killed 18 workers, Ankara “Forces for Labor and Democracy” gathered in front of the HABAŞ Regional Directorate. In a statement it said: “It is long past time to put an end to this hell of exploitation and say: 'Enough!' The murderer of HABAŞ and all our class brothers who we lost in these worker massacres is this system of exploitation!“…” Turkish.Report from November 10, 2026 in Sendika.Org with video
• The death toll in HABAŞ has risen to 18
  “The death toll has risen to 18 in the explosion at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory in Aliağa district of Izmir. The Occupational Health and Safety Council has released the names of the deceased workers. The names of the workers are as follows…” Turkish.Post from November 10, 2026 in Sendika.Org 
• The employer and the relevant ministries are responsible for the massacre at HABAŞ... In October, 193 workers died, in the first ten months of the year the number was at least 1930.
  Yesterday, just as we were about to publish the report on occupational accidents in October, we received news of a massacre among workers at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel Factory in Aliağa near İzmir. We have so far lost 17 work colleagues due to explosions and the subsequent fires that occurred when a ceiling crane came loose and fell onto the blast furnace; 12 others were injured, one seriously. We express our condolences to the workers' families and their colleagues; may God give them strength. We wish our injured colleagues a speedy recovery...
  After this massacre, if we repeat the usual clichés such as “the causes of the incident must be investigated”, “a thorough investigation must be carried out”, “those responsible must be found”, etc., we are only doing window dressing. This massacre is the “soma” of the exploitation system in the factories.
  Let's look at the explosion like this: A work system that has made workers toil for 12 hours until they drop for twenty years and is supported by the state; a factory where in the last two weeks two more workers (Hakan Doğan and Eyüp Eğinli) were added to the approximately twenty fatal industrial accidents and where production continued despite the deaths of another 17 workers yesterday…” Extensive Turkish.Notice dated November 10, 2026 from İSİG Meclisi – Committee for Occupational Safety and Health – with statistics (machine translated) 

See also the dossier:Every year again: new high in fatal work accidents in Turkey

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