The toll of 2025 is heavy: workplace deaths, fires, and child deaths in MESEM

Around 2,000 workers and at least 91 children lost their lives in workplace deaths in 2025, In the forest fire that broke out on 23 July, 10 people died, 5 forestry workers and 5 AKUT volunteers. In November, Turkey was shaken by a fire at a perfume factory operating illegally without registration or a licence. In the fire at the perfume workshop in Dilovası, Kocaeli on 8 November, 7 workers died, including 3 child workers.

Turkey also spent the final days of the year debating the deaths of 17 students working under the Ministry of National Education’s MESEM project who died in workplace accidents.

This report compiled what happened in relation to worker and child worker deaths in 2025. According to TÜİK, 35,568,000 people work in Turkey. According to data from the Health and Safety Labour Watch (İSİG), at least 1,956 workers died in the first eleven months of the year.

According to İSİG data, at least 13 children died in workplace deaths in November. One of these children was a farmer, while 12 were working in agriculture, food, chemicals, wood, office work and construction. Of those who died, 4 were aged 14 or under and 9 were in the 15–17 age group. Over the year as a whole, at least 91 child workers died in workplace accidents and workplace deaths.

10 PEOPLE DIED WHILE FIGHTING FOREST FIRES

Turkey battled forest fires in July. In the summer fires, while forest areas were destroyed, 10 people also died in the firefighting effort. In the forest fire that broke out in Seyitgazi, Eskişehir on 23 July, 10 people died while responding, 5 forestry workers and 5 AKUT staff.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı said: “Regarding the fire that started in Eskişehir-Seyitgazi and spread across to the Afyonkarahisar border, 19 forestry workers and 5 AKUT members, 24 people, were unfortunately caught in the fire when a suddenly changing wind turned the flames towards them. Of these, 14 are currently receiving treatment in different hospitals without any major problems. Sadly, we lost 5 forestry worker brothers and 5 AKUT member brothers.”

Following the forest fire in which 10 people died, investigations were launched by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices in Eskişehir and Afyonkarahisar.

INDICTMENT PREPARED FOR 16 DEFENDANTS OVER THE DİLOVASI DISASTER

In November, Turkey was shaken by a fire at a perfume factory operating illegally without registration or a licence. In the fire at a perfume workshop in Dilovası, Kocaeli on 8 November, 7 workers died, including 3 children.

In relation to the fire, the Gebze Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office requested that İsmail Oransal, Altay Ali Oransal, Aleyna Oransal and Gökberk Güngör, authorised partners of Ravive Kozmetik San. ve Dış Tic. A.Ş. and the LYKKE Kozmetik company, be punished for “possible intent”. It also requested that a case be brought against 8 defendants for “causing death and injury through conscious negligence” and against 4 defendants for “harbouring an offender”.

In the conclusion section of the indictment, it was found that İsmail Oransal and Altay Ali Oransal played a decisive role in the company’s legal and actual management and continued production without taking the necessary occupational safety and technical measures. The indictment included the statement: “… despite knowing the high risks inside the workshop and being part of the decision-making process, they acted with a ‘whatever happens’ mentality and made no attempt to prevent these risks.”

The indictment recorded that employees stated they were not given work clothes or protective clothing, had never seen any occupational health and safety specialist at the workplace, had not received any training and had no insurance. It was reported that suspects İsmail Oransal and Altay Ali Oransal and the deceased suspect Kurtuluş Oransal, for whom an additional prosecution decision was issued due to the deaths, exercised their right to remain silent and did not give a defence in questioning at the police, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Criminal Judgeship of Peace. The indictment stated that a separation decision was issued regarding Dilovası Municipality and SEDAŞ officials.

Of the 11 suspects detained in the investigation, company owner Kurtuluş Oransal, company officials İsmail Oransal, Altay Ali Oransal, Aleyna Oransal and Gökberk Güngör were remanded in custody on the charge of “killing with possible intent”, while Ali Osman A. and Onay Y. were remanded in custody on the charge of “harbouring an offender”. H.E., G.B., Ö.A. and Güven Demirbaş were released under judicial control.

Kurtuluş Oransal, the company owner who was detained during the investigation, later died after a heart attack in prison. After the incident, SGK and İŞKUR officials whose negligence was assessed were suspended.

17 CHILDREN DIED IN MESEM

According to İSİG, 17 child workers died this year while working as apprentices and interns under MESEM (Vocational Training Centres). The names of the children who died are:

“Muhammed Kendirci, Alperen Uygun, Yağız Yıldız, Arda Dirmilli, Efe Baran Kazancı, Muammer Samet Karaoluk, Eren Dağ, Alperen Kocayavuz, Alperen Enes Ural, Murat Can Eryılmaz, Arda Tonbul, Ömer Çakar, Zekai Dikici, Ulaş Dumlu, Erol Can Yavuz, Arda Silahlı and Yunus Emre Küçükuzun.”

In Konya, 15-year-old MESEM student Berk İvacık was found dead in mountainous terrain. It was learned that before leaving home on 26 November, İvacık left his family a farewell letter containing the words: “I have no desire to live left. God bless you. Goodbye.”

STUDENTS IN CUSTODY, TEACHERS DETAINED

Because of students made to work under the MESEM project, Turkey debated the programme in the final days of the year. At a hotel in Yenibosna where the Ministry of National Education held its Vocational and Technical Education Summit, 16 members of the Türkiye İşçi Partisi who protested MESEM and child deaths were remanded in custody, while the President of the Private Sector Teachers’ Union Eren Edebali and those with him were detained and then released.

On 14 December, during budget talks of the Ministry of National Education in the Turkish Grand National Assembly General Assembly, MPs from CHP, İYİ Parti, DEM Parti and Yeni Yol Partisi raised workplace accidents/workplace deaths in MESEM. Responding to criticism of MESEM, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin said vocational training and child labour are separated by clear lines, that they do not see any child as cheap labour and that every step in the field is closely monitored without putting any child’s life at risk. The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that a public case had been filed against 16 people on charges of “resisting to prevent the performance of duty” and “minor injury”.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled 2025'in bilançosu ağır: İş cinayetleri, yangınlar ve MESEM’de çocuk ölümleri, published in BirGün newspaper on December 25, 2025.