The Turkish government dismissed the head of Turkish State Railways (TCDD), İsa Apaydın, who was widely criticised after nine people were killed and 47 injured in a train crash in the capital Ankara in December 2018. Ali İhsan Uygun was appointed as TCDD General Manager.
In addition, Hızır Reis Deniz, the General Director of Coastal Safety, was also dismissed. Deniz was replaced by Durmuş Ünüvar.
Following the accident, experts said the crash happened as the train line was working without an automated signalling system and railway workers had been using radios instead.
State Railways’ head İsa Apaydın was widely criticised because after the crash he locked his Twitter account to prevent posters making negative comments.
However, The Transport Ministry did not give a reason for Apaydın’s dismissal.
Since 2004, there has been eight deadly high-speed train accidents in Turkey, killing 98 and injuring 540. Twenty-five people were killed and more than 70 injured after a passenger train derailed in Çorlu, in northwest Turkey in July 2018.
Share on:
