What do we know about the Dilovası fire in which 6 female workers, 2 of whom were children, lost their lives?

The fire at Ravive Kozmetik in Kocaeli's Dilovası district, which claimed the lives of six workers, including children, has been laid to rest. Eleven suspects detained as part of the investigation have been referred to the courthouse. What do we know about the Dilovası fire?

A fire broke out at the Ravive Cosmetics perfume filling business on Mimar Sinan Street in the Mimar Sinan neighborhood of Dilovası, Kocaeli, on November 8. Six women, including two children, lost their lives as a result of the blaze.

The names of the workers who lost their lives are as follows:

Cansu Esatoğlu (16), Nisa Taşdemir (17), Tuğba Taşdemir (18), Şengül Yılmaz (55), Esma Gikan, Hanım Gülek (65).

Six workers, two of whom were children, were laid to rest. Esma Dikan's body was buried in Orhangazi Cemetery following funeral prayers at Vahdet Mosque. Şengül Yılmaz's body was buried in Kayapınar Cemetery following prayers at Çardaktepe Mosque. Hanım Gülek's body was buried in Orhangazi Cemetery following funeral prayers at Eyüp Sultan Mosque.

The bodies of Cansu Esatoğlu and Nisa and Tuğba Taşdemir were buried here after funeral prayers held side by side in Kayapınar Cemetery.

The audio recording of worker Şengül Yılmaz, who died in the Dilovası fire, explaining that they earned 3,800 TL in 15 days was published:

"I work at the same place because I can't find another job because I'm too old. There are night shifts. As you said, there's nothing to do. It's the same environment, just like you know. I'm on my own, doing my own thing. Hello, hello, that's it, nothing else. I'm completely screwed now, they're looking for workers, but they keep telling me to bring them in. Well, if you only knew... He took me out, then called me back. We brought a friend, but he didn't work. 80 bottles of perfume were broken there, and he cut off 1.5 billion. Then he called me back. There was a misunderstanding. My sister said, 'Sister,' 'We've lowered the 280 to 220.' This month, I got 3.8 billion in 15 days of work. I said, 'Look, this isn't working.' I said, 'I'd like you to do the glass.' He said, 'Okay, sister, I'll think about it, I'll do it.' And I said, 'Okay.'"

Following the fire, allegations of child labor, the lack of firefighting systems, fire suppression systems, and alarm systems, the lack of occupational safety and worker training measures, and the lack of workplace signage were brought to light. The building where the fire occurred is located immediately adjacent to the İŞKUR Dilovası Service Building. It was reported that the factory had been operating in this area for a long time, but lacked official signage.

The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined. However, a panel of experts consisting of a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, a chemist, and an occupational health specialist is continuing their work to determine the cause and those responsible. Allegedly, the building lacked a sprinkler system, fire suppression infrastructure, and fire detection and alarm systems. The emergency escape routes did not comply with regulations, with only one exit door, and materials piled up in front of it.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced that a judicial investigation has been launched by the Gebze Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the incident. One deputy chief public prosecutor and two prosecutors have been assigned to the investigation, and 11 people have been detained. Business owner Kurtuluş Oransal was apprehended while attempting to flee in Yalova. Three others, including shift supervisors and responsible managers, were detained in operations conducted in Kocaeli and Yalova. Oransal's son, İsmail Oransal, remains wanted.

Following the fire, an administrative investigation was launched by the Social Security Institution (SGK) and İŞKUR. The SGK Kocaeli Provincial Director, the SGK Kocaeli Deputy Provincial Director, the Gebze Social Security Center Director, the Labor and Employment Agency Kocaeli Provincial Director, the İŞKUR Dilovası Service Center Director, the İŞKUR CİMER branch manager, and one staff member were temporarily suspended.

It was revealed that the factory had previously been complained about to CİMER. The complaints, filed in 2024, alleged that the workplace employed uninsured workers, that meal fees were not paid, that employees were forced to work under threat of dismissal, and that the factory operated without signage.

One application stated that the following statements were made:

"In Kocaeli's Dilovası district, next to the Vahdet Mosque, women and children from our neighborhood are working without insurance at a workplace that manufactures and fills perfume without a signboard. There is no job security. They charge for meals and tell you to 'eat for yourself.' I request that necessary action be taken."

Another complaint was made public, stating, "The women and children of our neighborhood are being forced to work without insurance, without job security, and under the threat of being fired." However, it was alleged that no action was taken despite these complaints.

According to a report by Mustafa Bildircin from BirGün, the company experienced a 66-fold increase in profits.

BirGün focused on the profit amounts reported by the company to the Revenue Administration in the 2022-2024 period.

It was founded on June 8, 2020, by Altay Ali Oransal and İsmail Oransal with a total capital of 3 million Turkish Lira. The company changed its address twice, in June 2021 and July 2024. Having moved its headquarters to Ataşehir, Istanbul, the company established its perfume filling facility in Dilovası, Kocaeli.

The company reported a profit of 27,982 TL in 2022. This jumped to 1,436,216 TL in 2023. The end of 2024 was the period when the company's profit reached its highest level. Accordingly, the company announced a profit of 1,858,479 TL by the end of 2024 and 2025. The 66-fold increase in company profits between 2022 and 2025 was noteworthy.

TMMOB Board Chairman Emin Koramazreleased a statement about the Dilovası fire titled "The causes are the same, the deaths are the same." Regarding the technical reasons, Koramaz wrote:

Apparent technical reasons for the murder: Alcohol is one of the most important ingredients used in perfume production. Despite the communiqué aimed at alcohol control, critical issues such as how and in what quantity alcohol was supplied and stored at the workplace where the accident occurred must be immediately clarified. Alcohol is a flammable liquid. It must be stored in appropriate tanks, the liquid must not leak into the environment, and its vapors must not mix with the workplace. The workplace must be well ventilated, and alcohol vapors must be eliminated. There must be no sparks, flames, or other sources, including electricity, that could ignite the vapors. The accumulation of alcohol vapors in dead zones, their encounter with an ignition source, and the resulting explosion and fire are the apparent technical reasons for the fire and explosion.

Following the fire, public outrage arose over the precarious work of workers and the fact that children were supposed to be working while they were supposed to be in school. According to a report by the İSİG Assembly, 169 workers lost their lives in October and 1,737 in the first 10 months of the year.

The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) emphasized that this fire was not just a “work accident,” but a clearly preventable murder.

The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) Children's Rights Commission issued a written statement reminding the public that child labor is illegal under all circumstances. "As the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, we offer our condolences to the families of the deceased workers. We demand a transparent investigation into all aspects of the incident, that those responsible be brought to justice without delay, and that effective oversight and deterrent sanctions be implemented in the fight against child labor. No economic justification is more valuable than the life of a child or the labor of a woman. This tragedy once again reminds us of the fundamental responsibilities of the state in the areas of occupational safety, the right to work, and the protection of children. This is respectfully announced to the public," it said.

The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) issued a statement saying , "Every preventable death is murder. However, this latest incident demonstrates that this is more than just a preventable accident. Workers were invited to die, and public authorities ignored it. We will not allow this mentality, which ignores worker murders in our country, to become normal."

TMMOB Chairman Emin Koramaz stated that the legislation and inspection system in force in Türkiye is no longer able to “inspect workplaces and prevent deaths.”

Koramaz called for the establishment of a National Occupational Health and Safety Institution that is administratively and financially independent and autonomous, with a predominantly labor organization presence, with the participation of relevant ministries, universities, unions, and professional organizations, as in examples around the world.

Koramaz emphasized that this proposed institution should not remain solely a top-level organization, saying, "It will be a structure that extends down to the workplace level, organizing training, auditing, laboratory, and periodic control services." He also noted that this structure would ensure effective oversight at all stages, from workplace design to operation. He wrote, "Unless this proposal is implemented, we will continue to make similar pronouncements tomorrow."

Koramaz also made a direct appeal to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, saying, "Unless the Ministry at least opens the proposal to discussion, it will continue to be responsible for the increasing number of deaths."

Koramaz, emphasizing that worker health and safety is an employer’s responsibility, emphasized that the system has been marketized, saying, “The marketization of worker health and safety services and the system that delegates responsibility to occupational safety specialists should be abandoned.”

Koramaz, noting that three child workers were among those who lost their lives in Dilovası, said, "There should be provisions preventing child labor and protecting at-risk groups like youth, women, migrants, and elderly workers, and these practices should be monitored. It should be mandatory for those wishing to open a business to receive training and certification in OHS."

Koramaz continued:

"Work must be stopped in workplaces where fatal accidents have occurred; the workplace must not reopen until a committee appointed by TMMOB and unions issues a report stating that the workplace can be reopened."