'Stop the appointment which kicks the miner'

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An online petition has been launched by the Turkey branch of the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) against the appointment of Yusuf Yerkel as a commercial attache to Frankfurt.

Yerkel, the then assistant secretary of the then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, caused huge public outrage after he kicked a miner during the protests following an occupational homicide that claimed the lives of 301 miners in Manisa's Soma district in 2014.

The DiEM25 Turkey has recalled: "Yusuf Yerkel, the perpetrator of the scandal, which took its place in the social memory by kicking the protester who lost a loved one in Soma, where 301 miners died in 2014, was recently appointed as the 'Commercial Attache' to Frankfurt."

Accordingly, the organization has "called on the Turkish, German and European public not to be spectators" as "otherwise, it will not only deteriorate the never-healing wounds of those who lost their loved ones in the massacre but it will further damage our sense of right and justice; will further reduce the capacity of peoples to participate in politics."

The petition has been addressed to the Chancellery and Foreign Ministry of Germany to the Presidency and Foreign Ministry of Turkey.

The petition of the organization reads as follows:

'Their lives were stolen'

"On May 13, 2014, 301 miners lost their lives in a fire in a mine in the Soma district of Manisa; rather than 'losing lives', their 'lives were stolen'.

"The never-quenching fire fell into the hearts of families, leaving a never-ending pain. The culprit was a kind of troika: the fossil fuel industry, neoliberal economics and politics, and the Government of the Republic of Turkey, which AKP has turned into a kind of 'party state'.

'An inhumane scandal'

"In addition to all these, during the protests after the disaster, a miner who reacted to the murder of his friends was knocked down by the police and kicked by the then Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan's 'Assistant Secretary', Yusuf Yerkel. While this inhumane scandal was recorded in history, Yusuf Yerkel was recently appointed to Frankfurt as the 'Commercial Attaché'.

'Appointment like an award'

"We believe that this person, unlawfully ignores the constitutional and fundamental rights protected by international law, does not see the demands for rights as legitimate, is intolerant of any democratic initiative, pro-violent, anti-labour, and lacks democratic culture.

"We do not accept the appointment of Yerkel as the 'Commercial Attaché' by the AKP Government like an award.

We call on the Turkish, German and European public not to be spectators. Otherwise, it will not only deteriorate the never-healing wounds of those who lost their loved ones in the massacre, but it will further damage our sense of right and justice; will further reduce the capacity of peoples to participate in politics.

"All these events are indications of how hostile the fossil fuel industry is towards the environment, workers and democracy.

"We are happy that the issue is embraced by labor organizations in Germany. Now is the time to scale it up." (EMK/SD)