Soma Families Visit Graveyards In First Eid After Tragedy

Grieving families of miners who were killed in the deadliest mining accident of Turkish history in May flocked to the cemeteries to visit the graves of their lost loved ones at the first Eid after the tragedy.

Visiting graveyards on the eve of and during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, two main Islamic holidays, is a tradition observed in many Muslim countries. “Eid is over for us, it is gone with our husbands. We came here to kiss the soil,” said Havva Avcı, the widow of 44-year-old miner Murat Avcı who was killed in the mine explosion. “My son talks about nothing but his father,” she said of her 1.5-year-old son who accompanied her at the visit to a Soma cemetery, where 39 of the 301 miners who perished in the explosion were buried.

Many families angrily cursed those who are responsible for the accident, although legally no one has been convicted to date. The government first said such accidents were “part of the nature of the business” but then shifted the blame on the company which operates the mine as reactions mounted.

“I wish God give the deserved punishment to those who caused this,” said Duygu Çolak, the widow of 26-year-old Uğur Çolak. “In the previous Eid al-Fitr, my husband bought new clothes for my son. Now I am the one who bought them alone and I feel very weird about it,” she said.

The Soma mining disaster sparked public outrage and laid bare the poor safety conditions in Turkey's mines, many of which are not adequately inspected by government officials.

Experts say the lax security measures, the lack of professional and responsible management, disastrous decisions by officials at critical moments combined with the long-running failure to improve conditions despite frequent indications of an impending disaster led to the high number of casualties.

“My father and my uncle Yılmaz are resting here,” said Ecrin Nur Çiftçi, the five-year-old daughter of worker Ali Çiftçi. “During last Eid, we were together with my father. We played games and he bought me new clothes. Today I read prayers at his grave,” she said. (Cihan/Today's Zaman)

SHOTLIST
TURKEY, MANISA, 28 JULY 2014

VAR of the Soma mine victims graveyard
Spouses and loved ones of the mine victims cry upon graves
Little children of mine victims

DURATION: 02:32