Expert report assigns partial blame to worker killed in Istanbul construction accident

More than two months after construction worker Aydın Zurlu fell to his death at a site in Istanbul's Bahçelievler district, no one has been arrested. A prosecutor's expert report found the subcontractor's owner primarily at fault, but also assigned partial blame to Zurlu, a 34-year-old father of two.

Zurlu died on June 25 while workers were covering a ventilation shaft with iron grilles. The report said he had failed to use a safety harness and had not refused to work when one was not provided. It also assigned partial fault to the construction site's manager, the project manager and the occupational safety specialist representing the main employer.

Zurlu's family has challenged the report. In its petition, the family said the ventilation shaft lacked sufficient measures to prevent a fall despite its height, including a safety net. It also said exposed cut formwork reinforcement bars created an additional danger at the point where he fell.

The family rejected treating the death as an ordinary workplace accident. It said, "This is essentially an attempt to place blame on the person who lost his life." The family also pointed to contradictions in statements taken after the incident and called for a full investigation into the responsibilities of both the main company and the subcontractor.

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This is essentially an attempt to place blame on the person who lost his life.