They started a hunger strike in front of the Ministry of Energy: 110 miners detained
They started a hunger strike in front of the Ministry of Energy: 110 miners detained
The miners stripped to the waist in front of the ministry and announced that they had begun a hunger strike.
Photo: Bağımsız Maden İş
“WE CAME TO ANKARA IN OUR SHROUDS, WE ARE HERE!”
According to the statement made today by the Bağımsız Maden-İş Union, a total of 110 miners were detained.
The statement made on the union’s social media account included the following expressions:
“110 miners detained!
While expecting to find an interlocutor in front of the Ministry of Energy, the response given was the detention of 110 of our friends. We are miners, we will not be intimidated by detentions; we will come out and continue from where we left off. We said it before: We came to Ankara in our shrouds, we are here!”
“IF HARM COMES TO THE MINERS, THE GOVERNORATE AND THE POLICE ARE RESPONSIBLE”
In its statement, Bağımsız Maden-İş pointed to the Ankara Governorate and the Police Department.
The statement noted that despite the cold weather conditions in Ankara, blankets requested for chronic patients and elderly workers were not provided, bags containing medication were not allowed into the area, and the entry of medical teams was blocked.
Stating that 110 miners and union executives were detained towards morning, the statement shared the information that a worker who fell ill during the detention was hospitalised.
The union’s statement said, “The hunger they made us endure was not enough, they are torturing us. Are miners not part of the public? Are they not children of this country? We want our rights!”
DEMANDS OF THE WORKERS
The workers are demanding the payment of their salaries, which have been unpaid for months, as well as severance and notice pay belonging to the periods both before and after the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) management.
Furthermore, the miners want an end to the practice of forced unpaid leave imposed without their consent and the provision of working environments that comply with occupational health and safety rules.
The reinstatement of workers dismissed due to their union activities and the nationalisation of the mine to guarantee job security are also among the demands.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
Workers belonging to the Bağımsız Maden-İş Union employed at Doruk Mining in Eskişehir reached Ankara on the 9th day of the march they initiated to demand the payment of their wages and compensation.
The workers, who spent the night in Ümitköy and faced police intervention while trying to march to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, saw the detention of Bağımsız Maden-İş President Gökay Çakır, union organising expert Başaran Aksu, and some workers during the intervention.
The detained individuals were later released.
During this time, a group of workers who were allowed to walk reached the front of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources on foot. The miners stripped to the waist in front of the ministry and announced they had started a hunger strike.
While the miners continued their protest, they were surrounded by law enforcement. The miners were cordoned off by vehicles.
The police also prevented members of the press from entering the area near the miners who were striking under the blockade after 21:00.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Enerji Bakanlığı önünde açlık grevine başlamışlardı: 110 madenci gözaltına alındı, published in BirGün newspaper on April 21, 2026.
