TUC calls on Turkish Government to free jailed trade unionists

Freedom of association

TUC urges letters of protest

6 June 2009

On Thursday 28 May 2009, the Turkish police invaded the headquarters in Ankara of KESK, one of the four trade union confederations in Turkey, as well as the KESK local branch offices in Izmir, Istanbul, Van and Manisa. According to the information received from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), more than 30 Egitim Sem (teachers' union) members were arrested. Six of them were released the same day, after having their statements taken by the police. The others remain in detention, and apparently some have been sexually harassed. According to the Turkish press, the operation was 'set up in the framework of a bigger operation aimed at cracking down on the terrorist organisation PKK'.

However, the truth of the matter is that Egitim Sen and other public sector unions in Turkey are currently engaged in a struggle for collective bargaining rights (see Education International statement below).

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has written the following letter of protest to the Turkish Ambassador in the UK, and has copied it to the Foreign Secretary. Unions are urged to send their own protests to the Ambassador, and copy them to the FCO too.

The TUC is in touch with KESK's leadership, and if the trade unionists are not released shortly, we will be organising more visible protests, including a possible picket of the Turkish Embassy.

For further information, see:

ITUC press notice: http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?article3817

ITUC/Education International protest letter: http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/TU_arrests_29-05-09__final_.pdf

Education International: http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1041&theme=ei&country=turkey

ITUC survey of trade union rights violations 2008 Turkey chapter (for background): http://survey08.ituc-csi.org/survey.php?IDContinent=4&IDCountry=TUR&Lang=EN

Brendan Barber's letter to the Turkish Ambassador

Ambassador Alpogan

Embassy of the Republic of Turkey

43 Belgrave Square

London SW1X 8PA

Dear Ambassador Alpogan

Turkish police action against KESK

As the representatives of British workers, the TUC and our affiliated unions with their 6.5 million members wish to express the strongest protest with regard to the actions taken by the Turkish police against the Confederation of Public Employees' Unions (KESK), as well as teachers' union Egitim Sen affiliated to KESK, which took place in the early morning of 28 May 2009.

I urge you to pass on our concerns to your government, and would welcome your confirmation that the imprisoned trade unionists have been freed and all other threats of imprisonment against independent trade unionists for their legitimate activities have been lifted.

The TUC has been informed by the International Trade Union Confederation that the Turkish police invaded the KESK headquarters in Ankara and at KESK local branch offices in Izmir, Istanbul, Van and Manisa, where they seized union documents and computers. Thirty-four Egitim Sen and KESK members were arrested. Six unionists were released the same day, after having their statements taken by the police. The others were taken to the public prosecutor, where they were required to give a statement. They were then referred to the court, which subsequently released 14 of them, notwithstanding the fact that the allegations against all of the detainees were the same: 'giving aid to' and 'making propaganda for an illegal organisation'. In the meantime, access to their files is being denied to the unions' lawyers.

The KESK members who remain in detention are:

• Abdurrahman Dasdemir, Former KESK General Secretary
• Elif Akgül Ates, Former Egitim-Sen Women's Secretary
• Lami Özgen, Egitim-Sen Ankara Branch member
• Haydar Deniz, Egitim-Sen representative in Izmir/Bergama
• Sermin Günes, Egitim-Sen Izmir Branch member
• Nihat Keni, Egitim-Sen Izmir Branch member
• Mehmet Hanifi Kuris, Egitim-Sen Izmir Branch member
• Sakine Esen Yilmaz, Egitim-Sen Izmir Branch member
• Aydin Güngörmez, Egitim-Sen Izmir Branch member
• Mustafa Beyazbal, Egitim-Sen Izmir Branch member
• Harun Gündes, Egitim-Sen Izmir Branch member
• Abdulcelil Demir, Egitim-Sen Izmir Branch member
• Hasan Soysal, United Trade Union of Transport Employees (BTS) Izmir Branch member
• Hasan Umar, Egitim-Sen Van Branch member

The TUC cannot see this intervention as anything else than anti-union harassment, which in itself constitutes a serious infringement of Convention 87 on freedom of association of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which your country ratified in 1993. The rights of workers' organizations can only be exercised in a climate that is free of violence, reprisals or threats of any kind against their leaders and membership, and it is up to governments to ensure that this principle is respected.

This cannot but undermine Turkey's application to join the European Union, and it saddens me deeply, as a supporter of that application, to have heard this appalling news.

The TUC calls for the imprisoned trade unionists to be freed and all other threats of imprisonment against independent trade unionists for their legitimate activities to be lifted.

I am copying this letter to the Foreign Secretary and to the trade union movement in Turkey, as well as making it public.

I look forward to your response.