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The workers of Özşen Mining in Edirne, who have been resisting for 25 days because they could not receive their rights, shut themselves underground today and started a hunger strike. The miners made a call to the authorities, saying, “Wherever we were left hungry, let us perish there.”
The resistance of the mine workers working at Özşen Mining, which belongs to the Kiremitçiler Group, in Edirne was carried to a new stage on its 25th day.
Stating that they could not receive their wages, overtime receivables, and severance packages, the workers shut themselves underground and started a hunger strike.
The Independent Mine Workers’ Union made a statement saying, “Özşen mine workers shut themselves underground on the 25th day of the resistance and started a hunger strike. ‘We are not leaving until our rights are given.’ Either a dignified compromise or uncompromising resistance!”
NO NEWS FROM MINERS
Announcing that their regular communication with the miners, who locked themselves in the pit and are on a hunger strike, via the control centre has been cut off, the union announced that the control centre was deactivated by the boss.
Saying, “We receive no news from the miners,” the Independent Mine Workers’ Union union used the expressions, “The Kiremitçiler Group is responsible for everything that may happen to our friends. We call the entire public to the front of the pit.”
It was stated that no information could be obtained regarding the health conditions of the miners inside either.
“NO ONE SHOULD STRIVE TO GET US OUT”
Speaking underground, the workers said the following:
“Today, we are on the 25th day of our resistance. For 24 days, we have resorted to every way to make our voices heard above ground. In no way, from nowhere, has there been an agreement or any development. As of today, we have started a hunger strike along with our friends underground. No one should strive to get us out; we are determined in this cause of ours. We will either die or we will get our rights. We are not leaving until our rights are given.”
“LIFE EMERGES FROM NOTHINGNESS”
In the statement made on behalf of the Özşen miners, it was stated that the workers had been trying to make their voices heard for 25 days, but no solution had been produced.
In the statement, it was reminded that the workers, who wished to go to the Edirne programme of the President and AKP General Chairman Erdoğan to convey their demands, were blocked by the gendarmerie.
The miner reacted to what transpired with the following words:
“Today, from here, we say this to the whole of Türkiye; those who caused this are the persons who are responsible today for the lives or the life safety of the miners inside.”
In the statement, it was expressed that the workers shut themselves underground because no other way was left to them anymore.
“We said, ‘What emerges from nothingness?’, we said, ‘life emerges’. In the end, let them shut all of these workers in this mine, throw a piece of soil over them, and let them say, ‘You were useful to us while you were working, you are not useful while dying either’. We say, wherever we were left hungry, let us perish there.”
The miners also made a call to the business owner Bekir Kiremitçi, to the authorities, to the governor, and to the district governor.
In the statement, it was requested that the rights of the workers be given.
The miner said, “There can be no austerity on people’s bread. There can be no austerity on people’s sweat. There can be no austerity on people’s children. People have become unable to go to their homes out of shame here.”
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Kendilerini ocağa kilitleyen madencilerden haber alınamıyor, published in BirGün newspaper on June 13, 2026.
Kaynak: BirGün