Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to offer condolences and heartfelt thoughts to Australia's Turkish community, which woke this morning to the news of a devastating explosion in a mine in western Turkey that has left 201 workers dead and 75 injured. It is estimated that there were 580 workers underground at the time of the blast, and 200 miners remain unaccounted for. The mine is in the town of Soma in Manisa Province, about 250 kilometres south of Istanbul. Large crowds of friends and relatives have gathered near the privately owned mine—many in tears, seeking the fate of their loved ones.

Australia has a very active Turkish community. I am blessed with a great Turkish community in my electorate. Many of those are migrants from the particular province where this disaster occurred. I am told that the issue of safety in this region was raised in the Turkish parliament only last month. One of the members of parliament said: 'As Manisa's members of parliament we are sick of going to miners' funerals.' Our thoughts and condolences are with the Turkish community of Australia at this time.