A verdict has been reached in the trial of six defendants in connection with an explosion at a pasta factory in Sakarya, northwestern Turkey, which claimed the lives of five people and left 26 others injured last year.
The Sakarya 7th Heavy Penal Court yesterday sentenced the six defendants to prison terms ranging from 3 years and 4 months to 11 years and 8 months for "causing death by negligence."
Notably, no member of the Özgüçlü family, who owns the Oba Makarna pasta company, was put on trial. Among those not charged were company Chair Mehmet Musa Özgüçlü, Vice Chair Salah Mohammed Amin Abdulla, and board members including members of the family and foreign nationals.
The individuals who faced charges were the factory manager, occupational safety expert, explosion protection document preparer, electrical maintenance supervisor, mill supervisor, and administrative affairs supervisor.
Volkan Uğur, the factory manager who was in detention, along with Yakup Turhan, the electrical maintenance supervisor, attended the hearing. Relatives of the deceased workers and attorneys representing the families were also present. İlker Beşikçi, the explosion protection document preparer, joined the session remotely via videoconfernce his location.
‘Conscious negligence or possible intent?’
After new documents were added to the record betwee the two hearings, the final hearing began with testimonies from witnesses.
One worker, who had been injured in the explosion, stated, “Although I didn’t file a complaint during the investigation, I am aggrieved and I am demanding my rights.”
The worker's attorney pointed to incomplete investigations, noting that the cause of the explosion remained unclear. The attorney also claimed that a hasty decision had been made during the investigation to drop the charges against some suspects, and that their client’s signature had been forged, which had violated their personal rights.
The attorney requested that the defendants be sentenced at the upper end of the penalty range, emphasizing that the incident could be considered "conscious negligence" or even "possible intent," a charge with higher penalties.
Saniye Karagüzel, the mother of Nail Karagüzel, one of the deceased workers, expressed her anger, saying, “The defendants and those outside are walking freely. My son burned to ashes. There was negligence. I demand that both the defendants and those outside be punished.”
Nail Karagüzel’s sister, Şeyma Güneş, who had worked at the factory for two years, accused the defendants of lying and claimed that her brother worked without insurance.
Nail Karagüzel’s other sister, Nadide Dursun, showed images from her brother’s treatment in the hospital on her phone.
Prosecutor's opinion
Submitting their opinion, the prosecutor demanded five defendants be sentenced to prison for rerms ranging from 2 to 15 years for “causing multiple deaths and injuries by negligence" and one defendant on the same charge for causing the death of a single person.
The prosecutor requested prison sentences ranging from 2 to 15 years for these defendants. Administrative affairs supervisor Caner Buzkıran was charged with causing the death of one person by negligence, with a requested sentence of 2 to 6 years. The prosecutor also called for Uğur’s continued detention.
In his defense, Uğur said, "I accept my lawyer's defense. I leave it to your conscience."
Turhan, who claimed he was responsible for the pasta section rather than the mill, requested acquittal. Beşikçi defended his actions by stating that the explosion protection document included a recommendation to clean the environment, which had not been done. He argued that if the dust had been cleaned, the explosion would not have occurred, and requested acquittal.
Defense attorneys challenge charges
The defense attorneys for the defendants rejected the charges and reiterated their written defenses. They requested their clients' acquittals or, if the court disagreed, that any mitigating factors be considered.
Uğur’s lawyer argued, “The evidence shows that my client was not the employer’s representative. He had no authority in the factory. There is no concrete document to support this claim. According to the expert report, it was noted that he was not the employer’s representative. I request the acquittal of my client. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security inspected the factory 30 days before the explosion and found no issues.”
Buzkıran’s lawyer said, “My client is being tried for a matter he had no responsibility for.”
Tunçbilek’s attorney added, “The same penalty has been requested for all defendants. My client works only three days a week at the factory and does not receive a high salary like the other defendants. It is clear from the photos in the case file that my client is innocent.”
Kalabaş’s lawyer argued that there were errors regarding his client’s responsibilities and insisted that Kalabaş had made necessary warnings to Uğur and the factory owner, requesting acquittal.
Verdict
After the defense statements, the court announced its decision. Factory manager Volkan Uğur and explosion protection document preparer İlker Beşikçi were sentenced to 11 years and 8 months each for causing the deaths and injuries of multiple people by negligence. Occupational safety expert Deniz Tunçbilek, electrical maintenance supervisor Yakup Turhan, and mill supervisor Önder Kalabaş received sentences of 8 years and 4 months each.
Administrative affairs manager Caner Buzkıran was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months for causing the death of one person.
The court also ruled for Uğur's release under judicial control measures. After the verdict, Uğur, the only defendant in custody, broke down in tears.
The victim’s lawyers announced they would appeal the decision to a higher court and vowed to continue fighting for justice until the end. (HA/VK)
