2023 Moto Courier Fatalities Report

The report also includes the stories of two moto couriers who lost their lives while working as moto couriers.

Berna Özgül, the sister of Samet Özgül, who was stabbed to death by 3 people who did not obey traffic rules, describes their family's struggle for justice in detail in the report. Eylem Çalışkan and Taylan Deniz Yıldırım, the cousin of Tevfik Arayıcı, who was hit by a minibus in Karabük, shed light on the working conditions that led to his death.

Children, refugees and youth

In the report, it is stated that most of the couriers who lost their lives were between the ages of 19-28, while 3 children, 2 of whom were 15 years old, also lost their lives. 

Last year, 7 child couriers, the youngest of whom was 17 years old, lost their lives. This year, there were 3 child courier deaths, two of the child couriers were 15 years old.

The 19-28 age range includes young people who are university students. While the number of university students who have to study and work or even drop out of school is increasing day by day, there is not enough data on how many of the couriers are students.

The report also shared the information that at least 5 refugee moto couriers lost their lives this year. "We observe from the field that refugee moto couriers are employed without insurance and unregistered employment, for low wages and almost without any OHS measures," the report said.

Most deaths occurred in Istanbul

Last year, 68 couriers lost their lives across the country. While 23 of them lost their lives in Istanbul, moto courier deaths were detected in at least 16 districts of Istanbul.

In line with the data obtained, the moto couriers who lost their lives are as follows according to the provinces: Istanbul: 23, Izmir: 7, Ankara: 5, Kocaeli: 4, Antalya: 3, Mersin: 3, Manisa: 3, Iğdır: 2, Aksaray: 1, Aydın: 1, Batman: 1, Bingöl: 1, Bursa: 1, Diyarbakır: 1, Düzce: 1, Elazığ: 1, Gaziantep: 1, Isparta: 1, Karabük: 1, Kayseri: 1, Konya: 1, Ordu: 1, Sakarya: 1, Tekirdağ: 1, Van: 1, Yalova: 1.

It doesn't matter whether you are a restaurant courier or a merchant courier

The report emphasizes that merchant courier work, like restaurant courier jobs, does not provide a safe and secure working environment. It is noted that in 2023, the number of merchants-couriers who lost their lives reached almost the same level as those in restaurants referred to as 'neighborhood shops.' Merchant courier work, described by couriers as a 'den of wolves,' is portrayed as a system where the returns depend on how many packages are delivered. The report conveys that working hours in merchant courier jobs can extend up to 10-12, even 14 hours, and couriers are condemned to challenging working conditions as they race against time to achieve premiums and bonuses.

The majority of couriers who lost their lives while working as merchant couriers, according to the report, were associated with Yemek Sepeti, Trendyol Go, and Fiyuu Tıkla Gelsin.