Teenager dies following a so-called “prank” by coworkers at work

A 15-year-old boy in Turkey has died after coworkers carried out what they later described as a “joke.” The teenager was held down while a high-pressure air compressor was forced into his body, causing fatal internal injuries when the air was released.

On November 14, Muhammed Kendirci, age 15, was working at a carpentry warehouse in Bozova, located in Şanlıurfa Province, as part of an apprenticeship program. What began as a normal workday turned into a tragedy when two older coworkers allegedly restrained him and subjected him to a violent act that ultimately led to his death.

According to local reporting from Milliyet, the primary suspect, a journeyman named Habip Aksoy, along with another unidentified individual, forced Muhammed to the ground and bound his hands, leaving him unable to resist what followed.

While the boy was restrained, the men claimed they were “joking” as they pulled down his clothing and inserted the nozzle of a high-pressure air compressor into his body before activating it.

Severe internal damage
The air compressor, a tool commonly used in fields such as firefighting, diving, and vehicle maintenance, released an intense burst of compressed air that caused devastating internal trauma.

The force ruptured the teenager’s intestines and severely damaged his internal organs, leaving him in critical condition. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and transported him to Harran University Research and Application Hospital, Milliyet reported.

After five days in intensive care, during which doctors fought to save his life, local media confirmed that Muhammed died on the morning of November 19.

‘My son’s clothes vanished’
Speaking to Gazete Ipekyol, Muhammed’s parents, Nebihe and Ahmet Kendirci, said they are still trying to understand how such extreme violence could happen to their youngest child without anyone intervening.

“There were at least three people in that workshop. How could no one see anything?” his mother Nebihe said, in comments translated into English. “That makes no sense. He would have been screaming. They are not deaf. Does that sound logical to you? It doesn’t to us. Shouldn’t there be security cameras in a place like that?”

Her anguish deepened as she described unexplained details surrounding her son’s belongings, which remain missing.

“My son’s pants are gone. His slippers are gone. His underwear is gone. Did my child go to work without clothes? Where did these things go? How does a child’s clothing just disappear?” she asked.

‘Do not call this a joke’
Referring to the suspects’ claim that the assault was meant as a prank, Muhammed’s father Ahmet expressed disbelief. He said Aksoy would have understood the danger of compressed air.

“Doesn’t he know what air pressure can do?” Ahmet said. “The police told me they placed their hand near the compressor and said it almost pierced through it.”

Nebihe pleaded for the act not to be minimized. “For God’s sake, don’t call this a joke. Don’t say that. I beg you. How can this ever be a joke?” she said, responding to the suspect’s defense.

“This was murder. My child was killed. He was subjected to brutality,” she told Gazete Ipekyol. “This was a brutal killing. No human being would do such a thing. They released that air until my child could no longer endure it.”

“Our child was killed. Our child was killed,” Ahmet repeated.

Child labor concerns
The case has also reignited national debate over child labor laws and enforcement in Turkey. Lawmakers and advocates have raised concerns about systemic failures that allow children to work in dangerous conditions.

Members of parliament have warned that children’s right to education is being ignored and that child labor continues to be exploited.

“Muhammed Kendirci should have been in school,” said Suat Özçağdaş, a member of the Turkish parliament, in a post on X. “Instead, he was subjected to torture while working as an apprentice in a carpentry workshop. In its initial statement, the prosecutor’s office said the incident was not torture but a case of joking around.”

He added, “This horrifying incident is the shared responsibility of those who ignore child labor, those who exploit cheap labor, and those who profit from the bodies and labor of children.”

The statement went on to say, “Children are dying while on the job, those responsible dismiss it as a ‘joke,’ institutions attempt to cover it up, and authorities stay quiet. In this system, profit and greed are valued more than the safety and lives of children.”

Arrested, released, then arrested again
The main suspect, Aksoy, who Ahmet says is 20 years old, was first taken into custody but was later released under probation for reasons that remain unclear. Following objections from prosecutors, a new arrest warrant was issued. Aksoy was then detained again and officially jailed by an on-duty court. The second suspect involved has not been publicly identified.

The investigation is still ongoing.

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