Patriotic when saving lives, 'disturbing' when fighting for rights: Ali Faik, the miner from Soma

Ercüment AKDENİZ

Ali Faik was an orphan at the age of seven. His father died 18 years ago in the coal mines in Soma, Manisa, Western Turkey, by being caught in an electric current.

“I was so young that I wasn't even aware of what I was losing,” he says.

When Ali Faik grew up he began to work and brought bread to his mother's house.

He was working in a supermarket on the night of the Soma Massacre on 13 May 2014.

When he heard the news of an explosion in the mine he rushed to the scene where an apocalyptic crowd gathered, with families waiting for news of their loved ones with hopeful eyes.

It was 301 miners whose lives were in question (301 miners died in the explosion).

“That day 453 children were left orphans. As I knew what it means to be without a father, I knew what those children had lost emotionally. That night, I experienced my father's pain 301 times,” says Ali Faik.

In the same year he started working at the mine, as a bulldozer operator in the above ground unit.

Right after the massacre, even when this land of black diamond swallowed your father, what kind of courage is it to keep a job in the mine?

“The pot has to boil at home. That's why bread comes before courage,” says Ali Faik.

Later, the families of miners came together and ran from trial to trial, for the sole purpose that those who were responsible for this biggest massacre of workers in Turkey's history face the punishment they deserve.

In this struggle for rights, there was also a demand for compensation for lost souls, severed legs, eyes left without light and orphans… to no avail.

“Uyar Madencilik (the company which operated the mines) went bankrupt and changed its name when the mines were closed. They transferred ownership of the mines to their relatives. Just to avoid paying compensation!”

This is what the 26 year-old miner Ali Faik Inter told me.

He is one of the Soma miners and families who have been waging a fight for their rights, "for my father's blood's sake," he says.

I reached Ali Faik by phone in Bayraklı, Izmir, next to a devastated earthquake wreck. We talked via a video link, him with a yellow helmet on his head and a white mask on his face. He was one of the 10 Soma miners who went to the earthquake site to help with the rescue effort to save lives.

"How did you decide to go to Izmir?" I asked.

“Upon hearing the news of the earthquake we thought "we must do something as soon as possible". In such situations, we cannot be a spectator because we are miners. The miner is helpful, the miner is sensitive. We were 35 people in the field of resistance (as part of the decision to march to Ankara, the capital city, to get their unpaid wages and compensations from six years ago). We came, leaving friends with liver problems and missing limbs at the place of resistance. There are teams trained on issues such as fire and dent in the mines. In a debris study, opening a tunnel and reaching the living persons is like reaching a mine in a quarry. Here they drove us into a collapsed building wreck of 56 flats. We are working as a sub-team of Izmir fire brigade."

Together with Ali Faik, 10 miners, all members of the Independent Mine Workers Union (Bağımsız Maden-İş Sendikası), arrived in Bayraklı on Friday evening at 20.30. They worked until 03:30 the next day. They slept for a couple of hours and got back to work. Then they switched to a working system that rested 3 people in turn.

I asked him about his impressions of the search and rescue work.

“We haven't encountered any living being or heard a sound so far. We reached the bodies of 4 people in total. There was always the smell of blood inside. The building was collapsed totally, even a small hammer blow ruptures the columns! There are no gaps, and this prevents us from moving forward."

I still remember that scene on TV: At the head of the wreckage, gendarmerie rescue teams and miners are working together. However, it was the gendarmerie barricade that blocked them on the Ankara road. I wonder what Ali Faik thinks.

“There was no obstruction when we came here, and it wouldn't be. Human life is at stake. We know who gave the orders to the gendarmerie in Ankara to stop us marching: it was the bosses. They love the miner as long as he does not demand anything from capital. The miner becomes patriotic while saving lives here, but when they march to Ankara for their rights, they are considered disturbing."

So, how did the people of Izmir meet the miners?“

Miners, that is, the people, come to rescue the people. Miners are also from the public. Families tell us the location of their missing relatives. The people trust the miner because we take risks when going into the wreck."

His break is almost over and our conversation has to end. I ask a final question: "What will you do next?"

“Once the work is over here and we are not needed anymore, we will return to the place of resistance again. We have 700 other miners behind us who are entitled to compensation. We will make a decision together with them. People have a fear of being blacklisted by the authorities. There may also be those who are complacent because we talked to the government. But we are determined. Our call to trade unions: act like labour unions, use your power to stop work related deaths. Our message to the public: We are miners marching for the struggle for our rights, support us, let's always be united."

While Ali Faik was going back to his rescue mission I write my notes on what he said about his mother:

“My mother was very worried when we first resisted. Then as she saw our rightful struggle she started to get used to the idea. But it is a mother's heart, she doesn't stay still. This time she is saying "Be careful son, help those in the wreckage, but don't let go of the precaution."

May you live long Ali Faik, so you make people live…