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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. 

Dear Friends,

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".

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".

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 labour organizations in Germany. Now is the time to scale it up.

DiEM25 Turkey