At least 214 workers died in occupational accidents in Turkey in July, bringing the death toll in the first seven months of 2026 to 1,279, according to a monthly report by the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG), an independent workplace safety watchdog.
Twelve minors, 11 women and 14 migrants were among those killed during the month, according to the report.
Of the 12 minors who died in July, four were 14 or younger. İSİG said combating child labor would be one of its priorities, with a particular focus on youngsters working in agriculture, industry, construction and services and those employed through vocational training programs.
The 14 migrant workers who died were from Syria (six), India (four), Afghanistan (two), Iran and Ukraine (one each). İSİG said a significant number of the migrant fatalities involved workers employed by Turkish maritime companies.
The highest number of fatalities occurred in construction and roadwork, with 58 deaths, followed by agriculture and forestry with 45, transportation with 20 and shipbuilding with 18.
Traffic accidents were the leading cause of deaths, killing 40 workers. Crushing incidents and collapses accounted for 38 deaths, while 31 workers died after falling from heights.
Only seven of the 214 workers who died were union members, while 207, or nearly 97 percent, were non-unionized.
İstanbul recorded the highest number of fatalities with 26 deaths, followed by Antalya (nine) and Aydın, Denizli and Muğla (seven each).
İSİG compiles its figures from national and local media reports as well as information provided by workers, their families, workplace safety experts, occupational physicians and labor unions.
İSİG documented 2,105 work-related deaths in 2025, the highest annual total in at least a decade, indicating that workplace safety in Turkey is worsening rather than improving.
Workplace accidents remain a chronic problem in the country, where lax enforcement of occupational health and safety standards continues to cost lives.
Turkey’s poor record on labor rights has also been highlighted internationally. A yearly report produced by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on labor rights revealed that Turkey is one of the 10 worst countries in the world for workers in industrial sectors. According to the Brussels-based ITUC, workers’ freedoms and rights have been further denied since police crackdowns on protests in Turkey in 2025, while strikes and attempts to unionize were prevented by the authorities.
