ANKARA
The Turkish parliament has rejected a debate on separate censure motions brought against the labor and energy ministers over the mining disaster, which left 301 miners dead, in the town of Soma.
"There are no loopholes in the legislation. We are here today to bring into account those who failed to comply with the law," Labor and Social Security Minister Faruk Celik told the General Assembly ahead of the voting Thursday.
Celik said that the current Occupational Health and Safety Act is in compliance with EU and ILO norms and added that 21 regulations were issued in accordance with EU directives in addition to 15 others issued in accordance with the act.
"The current legislation leaves no link unaccounted for. We just need to find out at what point the chain broke, and find those responsible," he added.
"Inspections are another part of the equation," Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said admitting, however, that it is not enough on its own to have relevant laws and regulations.
"Who is at fault here? This [issue] has administrative, human, political, legal and social implications. And we will not give up until all legal and administrative recourses are exhausted," Yildiz said.
The censure motion, against the two ministers, claiming that the Soma mining disaster rescue mission was "conducted irresponsibly" was submitted by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and People's Democratic Party (HDP) on Wednesday.
The mining disaster in Soma is the worst tragedy of its kind in Turkey’s history, with the death toll surpassing that of a firedamp explosion in Zonguldak in 1992 in which 263 miners died.
Eight people have been placed under arrest to date amid an ongoing investigation into the disaster.
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