Turkey saw another troubling year for labor rights in 2025, characterized by a high number of workplace deaths and renewed scrutiny of child labor. Unions and rights groups pointed to persistent safety failures, state-sanctioned pressure on the right to strike and a widening gap between stagnant wages and the soaring cost of living.
Work-related fatalities were reported across sectors, with several high-profile incidents drawing attention to safety conditions at both private companies and government-linked construction projects. A monitoring group reported that at least 2,105 workers died in occupational accidents in 2025. Labor experts, however, point to discrepancies between fatality counts and survivor benefit records, suggesting that Turkey’s real workplace death toll may be nearly double official figures.
Child labor remained a critical human rights concern throughout the year. Between September 2024 and August 2025, at least 72 child workers died in job-related incidents, while a study put the number of underage workers who died in work-related accidents over the past 12 years at 2,664.
The year was also marked by a significant lack of accountability for corporate negligence. In a noteworthy case involving a 2024 factory explosion, the families of four deceased workers were pressured into withdrawing their complaints against the owners, despite an official investigation that cited “gross negligence” in basic safety measures.
Labor rights disputes persisted alongside the safety concerns throughout 2025. Agricultural workers, primarily women, in İzmir protested what they described as pressure to relinquish union membership, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan halteda planned miners’ strike in four provinces for 60 days, citing national security. These tensions unfolded against a backdrop of severe economic strain. By October 2025 the monthly hunger threshold had climbed to TL 28,412, leaving the TL 22,104 minimum wage more than TL 6,300 short of covering even basic nutritional needs for a family of four.
Below is a curated list of articles that provides an overview of workplace safety, child labor and labor rights in Turkey in 2025:
Over 2,000 workers died in occupational accidents in Turkey in 2025: İSİG
Turkey recorded at least 2,105 deaths in work-related accidents in 2025, according to a report by the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG). More…
More than 2,600 young workers died in occupation-related accidents in Turkey in last 12 years
At least 2,664 young workers died in workplace accidents in Turkey over the past 12 years, according to a report by İSİG. More…
Turkey’s real workplace death toll nearly doubled official figures
Turkey’s actual workplace death toll was likely nearly double the official figures, according to labor experts who noted discrepancies between the number of fatalities and survivor benefits in Social Security Institution (SGK) records. More…
Turkey saw record number of young worker deaths despite gov’t pledge to combat child labor
The number of underage deaths from occupational accidents reached a record high, despite the Turkish government’s pledge to effectively prevent such fatalities, according to a report by İSİG). More…
At least 770 child workers died in occupational accidents in Turkey since 2013
At least 770 children died in work-related accidents in Turkey over the past 12 years, according to data released on the World Day Against Child Labor, celebrated on June 12. More…
At least 72 child workers died in Turkey during past school year
At least 72 children died while working in Turkey between September 2024 and August 2025, according to a new report by İSİG. More…
At least 1,566 workers in Turkey died in occupational accidents in first 3 quarters: report
Turkey recorded at least 1,566 deaths in work-related accidents in the first three quarters of 2025. More…
3 workers died on government construction site in southeastern Turkey
Three workers lost their lives in an accident on a government construction site in southeastern Urfa province in April, while a fourth worker was rescued. More…
Warehouse fire in Turkey exposed persistent workplace safety and child labor concerns
A fire at a perfume warehouse in Turkey’s Kocaeli province on November 8 reignited outrage over chronic workplace safety failures in the country, after it emerged that children and unregistered workers were employed despite prior complaints to authorities and a lack of basic precautions. More…
Factory owners avoided legal pressure as families of blast victims withdraw complaints
The families of four workers who had died in a 2024 explosion at the Oba Makarna pasta factory in Sakarya province withdrew their complaints against the factory owners, despite an official investigation indicating gross negligence in the implementation of basic safety measures. More…
Miners’ strike temporarily halted by President Erdoğan, citing national security
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in July halted a planned miners’ strike in four provinces for 60 days, citing national security concerns. More…
Agricultural workers in Turkey’s İzmir province protested company pressure to cut ties with union
More than 350 agricultural workers, most of them women, employed at Queen Flowers in İzmir province, protested the company over pressure to relinquish their union membership in May. More…
Civil servant unions, opposition accused Erdoğan gov’t of forcing millions into poverty with new wage deal
Public sector unions and the main opposition party in Turkey accused the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of condemning millions to poverty with the pay raises set for civil servants and retirees for 2026–2027. More…
Turkish union demanded reinstatement of civil servants dismissed during post-coup purge
The Confederation of Public Employee Trade Unions (KESK) on October 13 began a five-day march calling for the reinstatement of civil servants fired by emergency decrees following a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. More…
Death of 14-year-old Syrian boy in Turkey highlighted child labor crisis
A 14-year-old Syrian boy died on October 31 after falling from the fifth floor of a construction site in southeastern Turkey, drawing attention to the country’s persistent child labor problem. More… ‘
Turkey’s hunger threshold kept extending its lead over the minimum wage
Turkey’s hunger threshold for the month of October was calculated at TL 28,412 ($675), extending its lead over the minimum wage of TL 22,104 ($525), according to a report released by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ). More…
16 students arrested in İstanbul over protest of child deaths in vocational training program
Sixteen student members of the Workers Party of Turkey (TİP) were arrested on December 3 in İstanbul after protesting the death of minors in workplace accidents at sites where they had been sent under a controversial vocational training program known as MESEM. More…
Turkish prosecutors sought prison sentences for 17 for protesting death of minors in state-run vocational program
Turkish prosecutors sought multi-year prison sentences for 17 opposition party members accused of protesting the death of minors in a state-run vocational training program. More…
