Children Lose In Religious Bonding

Seventeen children and one teacher had died in the gas leak explosion that happened in the Boğaziçi Private Student Dormitory in Konya on August 1. The dormitory was for Koran studies. However, none of the families of the children who died in the explosion has filed a complaint so far.

Bianet asked Metin Oralöz, the chief editor of the newspaper Konya Anadolu Headline, why the families have not complained.

“They could fill their stomachs in the dormitory”

Oralöz says that the locals who live in Balcılar region of Taşkent district, where the dormitory was located, are very poor.

“The locals are very poor and they need help. The families send their kids to the dormitory in summers, so they can be fed and have a roof over their head.”

Oralöz describes the locals as “very religious people”.

“The religious order that owned the dormitory used to give them material assistance. These people were already in need of help. They did not complain out of loyalty, because of  an emotional connection.”

“The rights of the children are not protected”

Commenting to the Ntvmsnbc about the incident, lawyer Hakkı Ünalmış stated that the necessary investigation was not done properly, the rights of the children were not protected fully.

“The parents of the children did not file complaints. They think that this is a gift from God. We do not care about their religious beliefs, but we should figure out why these children died, find those who were responsible for it and take the necessary precautions.”

Stating that they are conducting a project together with the children rights centers of the forty-one provinces, lawyer Ünalmış said they were planning to bring up this subject to the Parliament. (NV/EZÖ/TB)