Four young people from Van died in work-related murders in the construction sector

Thousands of Kurdish youth, who are unemployed due to the impoverishment and immigration policies of the AKP and the Turkish state, are forced to migrate to Turkish cities to work in construction. Every year, hundreds of Kurdish youth working in this sector die in work-related murders.

In the last month, four Van workers lost their lives by falling while working in construction.

Although Van is a border city, it is among the poorest cities, together with Bitlis, Muş, Ağrı, Ardahan and Hakkari provinces.

Since there are no job opportunities in the cities of Kurdistan, citizens have to migrate to the metropolitan cities of Turkey to work mainly in the construction industry.

Every year, many people from Van lose their lives by falling in construction. In 2020 and 2021, the bodies of at least 50 workers from Van where returned.

Maşallah Öksüz (37), father of four, is one of the workers who lost his life by falling while working on a construction site.

Öksüz, registered to the population of Hacıkaş Mahallesi of Van’s Erciş district, was working at the Istanbul Başakşehir metro construction site, was seriously injured by falling into a 7-meter well. Öksüz, who was taken to the hospital, could not be saved.

His older brother, Ercan Öksüz, said it was a murder, not a work accident.

Öksüz said: “The hopes and dreams of a young person are left unfinished. Three-year-old Egit, 8-year-old Zilan, 9-year-old Delila and 13-year-old Berat unfortunately were left without a father. My brother’s sole purpose was to bring bread to his house. Unfortunately, Kurdish youth will continue to work in construction, because they have no other choice. Mashallah’s death is not the first and unfortunately won’t be the last. Kurdish youth are condemned to starvation and forced to work in such jobs.”

In February, Yusuf Çevik (19), registered to the population of Erciş district, fell from the 4th floor of the construction site he was working at in İzmir and lost his life.

Ahmet Çolak (25), registered to the population of Muradiye district, died after falling under the rubble at his workplace.

Hekim Gülalan, registered to the population of Gürpınar district, died when a broken part of a crane fell on him at a construction site in Adana.