Families mark one year since Dilovası fire: 'Seven of our children died screaming'

On November 8, 2024, a fire broke out at Ravive Cosmetics in Dilovası, killing 7 workers including 3 children and 6 women. On the first anniversary of the disaster, the families of the deceased marched from the district square to the fire site; union representatives, citizens, and journalists also joined the procession.

Filiz Esatoğlu, mother of Cansu Esatoğlu, said: "I came here and collected my child's bones. They had turned to charcoal, we put them in a bag and took them away. We demand justice from the state and the nation." Altun Taşdemir, mother of Nisanur Taşdemir, described how her daughter called for help: "My daughter was about to turn 15. She was saying 'We are here, save us.'"

Şahin Taşdemir, father of Tuğba Taşdemir, called for negligence to be exposed in all its dimensions, saying: "We have not forgotten our children, and we will not forget. We will continue our struggle until justice is served." Emine Bulut, sister of Şengül Yılmaz, accused Dilovası Municipality and the Ministries of Labor and Justice of remaining silent, stating: "We will hold everyone accountable."

The father of Nisanur Taşdemir also criticized the parliamentary rejection of written questions, saying: "Are we not citizens of this country? I demand justice from the state."

In a press statement by the Dilovası Workers' Massacre Families, the statement recalled uninsured labor at the workplace, the absence of a fire escape, and the failure to implement a demolition order issued years earlier. In the statement referring to the fifth hearing of the case on November 3rd, it was emphasized that the release of defendant Ali Osman Akat deeply wounded families' expectations for justice.

The families demanded that the hearings be held in Gebze and that all those responsible be held accountable in court. The statement ended with the words: "We have not forgotten, we have not forgiven, and we will hold you accountable."