CHP Deputy Rahmi Aşkın Türeli has brought the issue of workplace fatalities before the Turkish Grand National Assembly, emphasizing that safe working conditions are a constitutional obligation.

Türeli submitted a parliamentary question addressed to Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan, arguing that the current occupational health and safety system has failed to prevent worker deaths despite the implementation of Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety. He stated that workplace fatalities in Türkiye have become a chronic social issue rather than a mere technical or bureaucratic problem.

Referring to data from the Occupational Health and Safety Assembly (İSİG), Türeli noted that more than 25,000 workers have lost their lives in workplace fatalities between 2013 and April 2026. He stressed that these deaths, now widely referred to as “labor murders” or “workplace killings,” demonstrate that existing legal regulations have failed to produce effective results in practice.

Türeli also criticized the current inspection model, arguing that occupational safety experts and workplace physicians receiving their salaries directly from employers creates a serious conflict of interest. According to him, a market-oriented inspection mechanism weakens independent oversight and prioritizes profit over workers’ right to life and safety.

The CHP deputy called for a radical restructuring of the occupational health and safety system, proposing a publicly financed and independent oversight mechanism. He argued that workplace safety professionals should be economically independent from employers in order to ensure effective and impartial inspections.

Türeli further demanded transparency regarding workplace accidents, stronger public oversight, and specific measures for high-risk sectors such as construction, mining, and agriculture. He warned that unless structural reforms are implemented, workplace fatalities will continue to rise.