EI, together with other Global Unions such as ITUC, ITF and PSI, are launching an online campaign in partnership with LabourStart to condemn these anti-union harassment tactics. We invite you and your members to take action now on LabourStart and send your protest message to the government of Turkey today!
http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=1466&src=ei
Please give high visibility to the campaign by recommending it to your colleagues, to networks, to union members and friends. Post it on your website, blog, Facebook and Twitter.
While some of the detainees were released on Friday 29 June, 28 trade unionists (including 15 members of the EI-affiliated teacher union Egitim-Sen) remain in detention, pending trial. Among the detainees are Mehmet Bozgeyik, Egitim-Sen General Secretary, and Sakine Esen Yilmaz, Egitim-Sen Gender Secretary.
This attack – carried out under the pretext of an operation against an illegal terrorist organisation – is the latest in a number of acts of intimidation and harassment against trade unions and their members during the past year. In February this year, 15 women leaders and activists of a number of KESK-affiliated unions were arrested. In October 2011, 25 Egitim-Sen and KESK members were sentenced to six years and five months’ imprisonment by the Izmir Criminal Court. While the first link between Turkey’s trade unions and any real or perceived terrorist organisation has yet to be found, the authorities leave no opportunity untapped to refer to such an alleged link as an excuse for harsh and arbitrary repression.
In a protest letter to the Turkish Prime Minister, EI condemned these anti-union attacks and urged him to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all detained trade unionists.
Read the EI protest letter to the Turkish Prime Minister here (pdf).
Press statements:
EI http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/news_details/2214
ITUC http://www.ituc-csi.org/turkey-71-trade-unionists-arrested.html
ITF http://www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm/pressdetail/7548
PSI http://www.world-psi.org/en/psi-protests-against-new-arrests-turkey
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/KESK-Free-jailed-trade-unionists-now/246130732173214
Photo gallery:
KESK members demonstrating in front of the Ankara Court House on 27 and 28 June: http://galeri.egitimsen.org.tr/index.php?level=album&id=61
