29.10.2026 19:23
It has emerged that former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım filed a complaint against Ali Ekber Yıldız, the father of Uğur Yıldız, who lost his life in the mining disaster in İliç, Erzincan, due to remarks he made after the hearing. After the complaint, the father was summoned to give a statement; his daughter Duygu Yıldız, supporting him, reacted by saying, "Call not only my father but also me and my mother to give statements."
It has emerged that former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım filed a complaint against Ali Ekber Yıldız, father of Uğur Yıldız, who lost his life in the mining disaster in the İliç district of Erzincan, due to his statements after the hearing. Upon Yıldırım's complaint, father Yıldız was called to give a statement. Reacting to Yıldırım's filing a complaint, Uğur Yıldız's sister Duygu Yıldız said, "My brother and nine miners were murdered. If you, as the state, had inspected that place and had not signed the capacity increase, these people would still be alive."
FATHER CALLED TO GIVE STATEMENT
Duygu Yıldız, sister of Uğur Yıldız, one of the workers who lost his life in the mining disaster that occurred on February 13, 2023, in the İliç district of Erzincan, said that father Ali Ekber Yıldız was called to give a statement upon the complaint of former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım.
Uğur Yıldız's sister Duygu Yıldız, in her statement to ANKA News Agency on the issue, said:
"We are the only family fighting against the İliç mining massacre, the Yıldız family. They called my father to give a statement. Because of the words he said to Binali Yıldırım. Look, I filmed a video at the hearing and said; 'If I insult the president today, they would detain me every day.' The same thing happened. My father said something to Binali Yıldırım out of anger and pain, and he was bothered by it and filed a complaint. I am calling out to Binali Yıldırım: Call not only my father but also me and my mother to give statements. File complaints against us too. Arrest us, give us life sentences. Whatever you do, we are not afraid.
THEY WANT US NOT TO PURSUE THIS CASE
We want to say this: They are trying to frighten us, they are trying to silence us. They want us not to pursue this case. Not to call out to people for justice. But we will continue to seek justice. Look, these people lost their children, I lost my brother, they kill a 33-year-old person, and justice is not served. One of the murderers is staying in a five-star hotel. We are being called to give statements because of the words we said to Binali Yıldırım with our pain and anger.
Look; Cengiz Yalçın Demirci, General Manager of Anagold Türkiye, does not come to court even once. We may not be equal in their eyes, anything can happen to us in their eyes; we can die, we can be arrested, we are nothing in their eyes, we are aware of that. But under the law and the Constitution, we are all equal, and those rights cannot be taken away from us. Today is your day, but tomorrow when the wheel turns, we will pursue these injustices. We are not silent, we are not afraid, they are trying to intimidate us. What else do we have to lose? What can you do to us? You let their children rot under that soil for 53 days, what else can you do to us? You have already done what you were going to do. That is how shameless and arrogant people are. How would we say a word to Binali Yıldırım? How could anything come out of our mouths to Binali Yıldırım? Who are we? We are laborers, we are workers, we are poor families struggling. How can we say anything to him? Who are we to do so? We are equal citizens, we have the same rights. If he wants justice and justice proceeds this fast, then justice for the miner's murderer should be served this fast. Arrest us, but also arrest the murderers of the nine miners. That is when you will be equal.
Our child died, their children died, let them stay silent. Let them call it fate, let them call it nature. But there is no such understanding in our fate or nature. Murderers, exploiters, imperial companies murdered my brother and nine miners. If you, as the state, had inspected that place and had not signed the capacity increase, these people would still be alive. While you should be living in the shame of this, you are calling this family to give a statement and filing a complaint. Bring it on."
REACTION FROM THE MOTHER: YOU OWE TWO LIVES
Mother Sevda Yıldız said, "I lost a child. You owe me not one life, but two lives."