Striking Analysis from Fatih Altaylı About Mehmet Başaran: From Ferrari to Workplace Murders

Fatih Altaylı harshly criticized an allegation circulating on the internet and based on material values. He described the news on a website that Mehmet Başaran's Ferrari collection is worth $30 million as "ignorance". Altaylı emphasized that the issue is not just a numerical error, but is related to a much deeper portrait of the industrialist. Stating that a single Ferrari FXX is in the range of 10-12 million dollars even in the European market, Altaylı stated that if this car is imported to Türkiye, its cost may reach 34 million dollars with taxes.

The facts are very different. Altaylı went beyond these figures and questioned the real issue, that is, Türkiye's industrial structure and social memory.

Who is Mehmet Başaran? The Lonely Giant of the Industry

Just being associated with luxury cars is not enough to explain this man's identity. Mehmet Başaran is an 80-year-old businessman who carries the 80-year legacy of an industrialist family on his shoulders. We are talking about a figure who has never been married, has no children and has no earthly heirs. It's almost impossible to see him on the streets in flashy Maybachs or flashy Mercedes. In Altaylı's words, you can even see it with a Renault Clio or Fiat Albea.

The man has only one passion. That is also production. Even though he is 80 years old, he is a visionary who still seeks to establish an automobile factory and tries to establish a giant production center in Izmit by purchasing Honda's facilities. He does not care at all about the criticism of those around him, saying "What are you doing at this age?" There is talk of a character who can be seen testing a car or riding his motorcycle to his factory in the dark of the morning. Altaylı describes this lonely and devoted lifestyle as a "Turkish Howard Hughes".

Türkiye's Industrial Reality and Occupational Safety Crisis

However, while Altaylı is drawing this portrait, he stops at one point and points out the real tragedy. It's not just about the lifestyle or collection values ​​of the rich. Loss of life in industrial facilities in Türkiye should be the main agenda item. In addition to giants such as Habaş and Çolakoğlu Metalürji, shipyards and heavy industrial facilities where dozens of workers lose their lives every day represent an endless wound of the country. Unfortunately, Türkiye has become a country of occupational murders.

Certain companies are not the only ones responsible for this situation; This is a result of the system. Occupational safety problems in the industry are not just accidents, but a reflection of systematic negligence.

Media Focus and Lost Lives

Statistics reveal a frightening picture. According to data, at least 1950 workers lost their lives in the first 11 months of 2026. The 193 deaths in October alone clearly reveal the gravity of the situation. However, the media's approach is completely disconnected from this reality. While the media focuses on a businessman's Ferrari collection, it ignores the screams of thousands of workers who lost their lives in factories.

Catching a name with a Ferrari collection is considered newsworthy. However, the real news is the heavy industrial facilities where people die every day and the society is not even aware of it. Altaylı's criticism contains a heavy reproach for these distorted priorities of society and the media. Even if thousands more workers are lost next year, if luxury cars continue to be talked about, this will be a social disaster.

Source: Leftist Newspaper