Fighting for workers rights is not a crime
Solidarity with the People of Turkey condemns the arrest of leading trade unionist Mehmet Türkmen, chair of the Textile, Weaving and Leather Workers’ Union (BİRTEK-SEN).
Following a ban on demonstrations against low wages in the Başpınar Organized Industrial Zone, Türkmen, who was detained on 14 February and later released, was taken into custody again on 17 February. He is believed to be facing charges of “violating the freedom to work” and “inciting crime”. In reality he has helped workers fight gross oppression and exploitation.
In Başpınar around 3,000 workers across 20 factories have been demanding wage increases.
Türkmen’s arrest is a sharp example of a wider assault on trade union and protest rights in Turkey as president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan leads a further crackdown on opposition.
The government wants to break workers organisation against pay cuts and job losses. It does not want unions that speak out against inhuman conditions at work. It wants bosses to be able to select fake and compliant unions as the only ones allowed to operate.
BİRTEK-SEN secretary general Mikail Kılıçalp said recently, “Our union has never been subservient to either the bosses or their government. For this reason our union has been targeted by both the capitalists and the political power that represents them. Both Mehmet Türkmen and our other officials have been detained and arrested many times. Our union has been subject to huge fines for incomprehensible reasons. However, none of these have been able to stop us from defending the interests of the working class. We will not stand back with this arrest warrant.”
We stand in solidarity with Mehmet Türkmen, BİRTEK-SENand all those targeted by the corporations and the government.
We say Mehmet Türkmen is not alone
We urge all trade unionists, democrats and supporters of civil rights to immediately:
Send a message of solidarity tobirlesiktekstilsendikasi@gmail.com and tag @birlesiktekstil in social media posts.
Send and email to the Turkish ambassador in Britain embassy.london@mfa.gov.tr
Urge your trade union in Britian to take up this issue urgently.
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