Dilovası Justice Vigil Enters Fifth Week Demanding Accountability

Families of seven workers who died in a fire at the Ravive Kozmetik factory in Dilovası are continuing their "justice vigil" into its fifth week. They are demanding accountability for both those responsible in the main trial and public officials implicated in the incident.

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We lost Cansu Esetoğlu, Nisanur Taşdemir, Tuğba Taşdemir, Hanım Gülek, Esma Gikan, Şengül Yılmaz and Tuncay Yıldız in the fire that broke out at the Ravive Kozmetik workplace in Dilovası on November 8, 2025. We are in the 5th week of the Dilovası Justice Watch we started after the deaths of 7 workers, 3 of whom were children and 6 women.

The main criminal case involves 16 defendants, two of whom remain fugitives. The trial has seen some key figures released on bail. During the second hearing, Güven Demirbaş, connected to the building's construction and rental, and Ünal Aslan, the responsible manager of the occupational health and safety service provider, were released. Aleyna Oransal was placed under a travel ban. The third hearing is scheduled for July 21, 2026.

Meanwhile, a separate investigation is underway concerning the responsibility of public officials. While no indictment has been prepared yet, families are concerned about delays. Following an expert report, several officials, including the former Director of Zoning and Urban Planning and the former Head of Building Control, were arrested. However, two of these officials, Cengiz Taşdemir and Nizamettin Balcı, were released after only six days, despite being accused of causing multiple deaths through conscious negligence. Families have expressed deep concern over these releases, questioning the basis for the decisions and demanding transparency on the investigation's next steps.

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We want to share the stage reached in both the main case and the separate investigation into public officials. The main criminal case regarding the massacre is ongoing against 16 defendants. Two of the defendants are still at large.

The families emphasize that the investigation should not be limited to a few municipal employees. They are seeking clarification on how CİMER (the Presidential Communications Center) applications regarding Ravive were handled and what actions were taken by the relevant institutions.

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We do not accept these release decisions. We demand an explanation of whether new evidence entered the file, how the existing documents were evaluated, and what steps will be taken in the investigation from now on.