Under fire, Ankara gas chief resigns
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Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 05, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - In the aftermath of the gas related accident that killed seven Ankara students, harsh reactions to the strange statements made by the director-general of Başkent Natural Gas Inc., Veysel Karani Demir, led to his resignation Saturday.
Demir initially said in a press conference Friday that the students had been found half naked, but later had to retract his words. "I stated that Başkentgaz had shown no negligence or fault in the incident while presenting the expert report during the press conference. However, some issues I mentioned in the conference were distorted on purpose," Demir said in a written statement.
"I condemn the abhorrent reflection of my statements by the press because it not only offended me, but also the families of the youths," Demir said.
Seven students celebrating New Year’s Eve at home were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in Ankara. Following the incident, Demir held a press conference and stated that natural gas teams did not have authority to control each flat in the middle of the night. Demir also asked reporters not to criticize the gas company as it is in the middle of a privatization process and such criticism could cause a reduction in the price of the firm.
’I never said that’
Before his resignation Demir tried to repair his statements in an interview with daily Radikal. Insisting that he never said the youths were naked, Demir said all the students were in casual wear.
"One of the youths’ shirt buttons were not done up. Maybe, he felt suffocated and unbuttoned it. What I meant by ’semi-nude’ was in relation to this man. We dressed him in sorrow," Demir said, adding he did not do anything that would harm the memory of the youngsters.
In reply to allegations he ended the press conference early to attend Friday prayer, he said: "I do not understand, if I had not attended the prayer, would those children come back? "What kind of a relation is there between attending Friday prayer and the incident? TV channels run commentaries asking whether Turkey has become Tehran, Iran. I am a Muslim Turk, a nationalist. What do I have to do with Iran? Is Friday prayer performed only in Iran not in America?" he said.
"I never became an official of the AKP (Justice and Development Party), I am the state’s bureaucrat. Indeed, the target was not me," Demir said, and added he was not at fault in the incident. Demir was also criticized for not wearing a tie during the press conference. "I saw the plight of the students. I was not aware of what I was doing due to the trauma that the incident caused me. I have children who are the same age as those youths," Demir said.
Demir’s statements drew criticism both from opposition parties and Bilkent University. The rector of the university condemned the reports published by Islamist media that included this tragic incident in an ongoing debate over the new year celebrations, implying the students had been punished for their sins.
Demir’s is a history full of disputable bureaucratic games, the Turkish media reported. Demir worked in the review committee under the authority of Ankara’s governor for many years and investigated almost 70 complaint files against Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek. According to the allegations, Demir exculpated Gökçek in all these files and later started to work for the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, resigning from his post at the governor’s office.
Sources said because Başkent Natural Gas was under the authority of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, Gökçek forced Demir to resign to deny the opposition ammunition during the elections. Meanwhile, the report on the incident revealed negligence on the part of the company, contradictory to Demir’s explanation. The report said the staff of the company had to check all houses and buildings and cut gas to the whole building in case of a risk. However, the report that the company officer prepared showed he only cut off the gas at the Koç family home who had called the natural gas company. The officer did not visit other apartments in the building , the report said.
"I condemn the abhorrent reflection of my statements by the press because it not only offended me, but also the families of the youths," Demir said.
Seven students celebrating New Year’s Eve at home were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in Ankara. Following the incident, Demir held a press conference and stated that natural gas teams did not have authority to control each flat in the middle of the night. Demir also asked reporters not to criticize the gas company as it is in the middle of a privatization process and such criticism could cause a reduction in the price of the firm.
’I never said that’
Before his resignation Demir tried to repair his statements in an interview with daily Radikal. Insisting that he never said the youths were naked, Demir said all the students were in casual wear.
"One of the youths’ shirt buttons were not done up. Maybe, he felt suffocated and unbuttoned it. What I meant by ’semi-nude’ was in relation to this man. We dressed him in sorrow," Demir said, adding he did not do anything that would harm the memory of the youngsters.
In reply to allegations he ended the press conference early to attend Friday prayer, he said: "I do not understand, if I had not attended the prayer, would those children come back? "What kind of a relation is there between attending Friday prayer and the incident? TV channels run commentaries asking whether Turkey has become Tehran, Iran. I am a Muslim Turk, a nationalist. What do I have to do with Iran? Is Friday prayer performed only in Iran not in America?" he said.
"I never became an official of the AKP (Justice and Development Party), I am the state’s bureaucrat. Indeed, the target was not me," Demir said, and added he was not at fault in the incident. Demir was also criticized for not wearing a tie during the press conference. "I saw the plight of the students. I was not aware of what I was doing due to the trauma that the incident caused me. I have children who are the same age as those youths," Demir said.
Demir’s statements drew criticism both from opposition parties and Bilkent University. The rector of the university condemned the reports published by Islamist media that included this tragic incident in an ongoing debate over the new year celebrations, implying the students had been punished for their sins.
Demir’s is a history full of disputable bureaucratic games, the Turkish media reported. Demir worked in the review committee under the authority of Ankara’s governor for many years and investigated almost 70 complaint files against Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek. According to the allegations, Demir exculpated Gökçek in all these files and later started to work for the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, resigning from his post at the governor’s office.
Sources said because Başkent Natural Gas was under the authority of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, Gökçek forced Demir to resign to deny the opposition ammunition during the elections. Meanwhile, the report on the incident revealed negligence on the part of the company, contradictory to Demir’s explanation. The report said the staff of the company had to check all houses and buildings and cut gas to the whole building in case of a risk. However, the report that the company officer prepared showed he only cut off the gas at the Koç family home who had called the natural gas company. The officer did not visit other apartments in the building , the report said.