Turkey reports 1,736 workplace fatalities in first nine months

Data from the Occupational Health and Safety Assembly reveals a significant rise in workplace fatalities in Turkey. In the first nine months of the year, at least 1,736 workers lost their lives. Notably, for the first time since the assembly began recording data in 2013, monthly deaths exceeded 200 for five consecutive months.

In September alone, fatalities reached between 226 and 273 individuals. The construction, agriculture, transportation, and municipal sectors reported the highest numbers of deaths. The reports also highlight vulnerable demographics, including 8 children, 21 women, and 14 migrant workers who died in September. Year-to-date, the total number of child fatalities in the workplace has reached 66.

A critical finding in the data is the lack of labor organization; 97 percent of those who died were not members of a trade union, suggesting a strong link between lack of union representation and workplace mortality.