Demonstrators fill Taksim Square in Istabul. Photo source: BBC
Over the past few weeks, Turkish citizens have taken to the streets of Istanbul, Ankara, and other major cities to peacefully exercise their right to freedom of assembly and expression. The non-violent protests have been met with brutal and unnecessary violence at the hands of the Turkish government forces. At least four innocent protestors have been killed, and many others injured, at demonstration sites that have turned into battlefields.
In solidarity with the International Union of Food, Agricultural , Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF), which represents millions of workers throughout the world, including trade unions of Turkey organized in food, hotel and agriculture sectors, UFCW President Joe Hansen has written to Turkey’s Prime Minister to put an end to the outrageous acts of violence, and the wrongful imprisonment of thousands of people.
In the letter, President Hansen recounts more government violence against Turkish demonstrators from earlier this year, and notes how democracy is being upheld:
We remain concerned that your Government engages in such repression as a regular practice based on earlier episodes. Still fresh in our minds is this year’s May Day Celebrations, which were supposed to take place in Taksim Square in Istanbul. They turned to bloodshed after attacks on demonstrators by security forces using tear gas and other unacceptable police action.
Such brutality is unacceptable …
Rather than continuing repression and anti-democratic measures, the underlying reasons for the demonstrations should be recognized. Since the 2011 elections authoritarian actions by your governance have increased. This included legal and illegal denial of fundamental trade union rights, adoption of laws that discourage rather than encourage the exercise of those rights, inaction, at best, against employers who deny workers’ fundamental rights, abuses in the judiciary system, prevention of de facto application of legal strikes, and violence against trade unionists coupled with limits on freedom of assembly and expression. These constitute attacks on fundamental human rights and democracy.
President Hansen calls for all the legal and practical barriers against the exercise of trade union rights to be removed and the right to strike is respected and KESK trade unionists, detained journalists and all others unjustly held for legitimate acts of protests and opposition to be released immediately.
You can take action too! Here’s how:
- go here, where you can download a model letter and campaign banner to send to Turkish embassies and consulates near you
- send a message to the Turkish government through Labourstart.