Free schoolbooks for students and free coal for heating for the poor have been the two main types of assistance the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has provided for years to lure votes. The link between politics and coal has become the subject of heated debates since May, when 301 miners perished in an accident in a coal mine in Soma. The government is accused of ignoring safety standards in the name of boosting coal production while reducing costs. With the advent of winter, coal distribution has accelerated and problems emerged, because tighter inspections and rules in the wake of deadly mining accidents have resulted in a decrease in coal production.
The issue was highlighted in a parliamentary query submitted this week by Muharrem Isik, a lawmaker for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). “The government’s coal distribution has stumbled amid the closure of mines and the cancelation of mining operation licenses in the wake of the accidents in Soma and Ermenek. The AKP, which distributes about 2 million tons of coal each year, is struggling to find enough coal for distribution ahead of the 2015 elections. To overcome the shortage, it is being compelled to procure low-quality and expensive coal from abroad or on the spot market. Moreover, the buys from the spot market are being secured through a company set up on Aug. 27, 2014, with no experience in the mining sector, which has led to many fresh questions,” Isik said.
