Tensions escalated at the Habas steel factory in Aliaga, Turkey, on Friday when security forces detained at least nine workers protesting a new policy that forbids mobile phones on the premises. The workers had gathered at the facility’s entrance during their morning shift, arguing that the restrictive rule is an attempt by management to prevent staff from documenting safety conditions inside the plant. This unrest follows a devastating industrial accident earlier in the week, where a boiler replacement operation went catastrophically wrong, causing a crane to drop 120 tonnes of molten steel and resulting in the deaths of 19 people.

The atmosphere at the industrial site remains volatile, with heavy security deployments and blocked access roads surrounding the factory. Amidst the ongoing grief and anger, questions regarding the plant's safety protocols have intensified, especially after the ruling AKP party and its allies recently rejected a parliamentary proposal to investigate the explosion. While President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised a thorough inquiry to ensure accountability, labor groups remain critical of the plant's management. The facility's chairman, Mehmet Rustu Basaran, is currently under house arrest as part of the formal legal investigation into the tragedy.