SOMA Disaster and Lost Miners

Dear chess.com members,

We are deeply sorry for our losts at SOMA mining area. Many friends from different teams and countries are sending condolency messages privately. However, I think, it is better to share your messages with all. 

Thanks in advance, Resat.

Xhantian, my friend - let me express that Canadians share in Turkey's grief over this tragedy with your miners. My thoughts are with the many affected families, and your country. It is so horrible. I hope the right changes will come out of this.

Pawndancer

Too bad...! just woke up and went to check on chess.... first thing as usual... did not even know this... have not even watched the news yet.... horrible....!!! that is not a good way to start the day!!!!!.....

      " We were burning, you supposed it was coal!"

      Source: Turkish Chamber of  Mine Engineers Mine Disaster Report 2010

 5 Mining Engineers died at SOMA: Burak Karayel, Ibrahim Çelik, Koray Karadağ, Mehmet Efe, Sinan Yılmaz 

[COMMENT DELETED]

6 Months ago, opposition parties at Turkish Parliament, opened an inquiry for SOMA regarding the worst working and dangerous conditions. The inquiry delayed by the Ruling party until 25 days ago.  And 25 days ago, all of the ruling party Members rejected the investigation. Why?  Because, those mining area is used to deal free-coal to the poor people to vote for AKP. The owners have very strict relations with the government and AKP. All opposition members voted for immediate investigation but it was not sufficient. There are hundreds of similar cases at our Parliament like a joke but ended with this tragedy. 

Turkish people and relatives of died miners are protesting the government due to many reasons:

• No real number of died miners has been issued by the officials yet.
• Nobody believes a real investigation will be handled.
• Lawyers and many public civil constitutions are in struggle to support the relatives. Many of them are already arrested.!
• The PM and his body guards attacked many times to the relatives of died miners. There are many videos issued by people at social media. 
• Only at KINIK town, a relative of a died miner, told that, "only myself buried at least 500 miners" at a yesterday TV program.  
• There are some information for the casualties to be over 700 people.
• The other crucial issue is, many miners died during the disaster, they were not registered officially as worker.  
• "Time" of disaster manipulated by the officials to declare that most of the died miners already "finished their shift, but they did not leave the workspace". This is issued to prevent compensation payment after expected investigations.
• Many survived workers have declared there was no safety precautions during the work even they warned the management for many times. They said that "there were many fake audits/controls which were informed to the mine management before the inspectors' visits!"

As a result, this disaster is not an accident. This is a murder which was pointed out by the unions, miners' chamber, opposition parties and workers. However, the dirty relations with the ruling part and "soma holding" was the real reason of the disaster who ignored the warnings and did not take necessary actions.

Bugün bana Chess Society of IRAN grubu adminlerinden birinden şu mesaj geldi. "" Will Appreciate if you accept our challenge request regarding "condolences to Turkey for mine tragedy" "" Soma için başsağlığı dilemek adına bi maç öneriyorlar. Ne dersiniz?