Meryem Özsöğüt finally released!!

8 September 2008 - After more than eight months in prison Meryem Özsöğüt has finally been acquitted and released after her trial on Friday 5 September. Despite worries about her safety, Ms Özsöğüt is in good health and will shortly be able to return to her duties.
Ms Özsöğüt was arrested last December following her participation in a Press Conference on behalf of her union, SES, PSI’s affiliate in Turkey. She was facing charges on two accounts, the first for “being a member of a terrorist organisation” and the second “for making propaganda in favour of the terrorist organisation”.

On the first charge the Court ruled that there was insufficient evidence and Meryem Özsöğüt and other defendants in the case were fully acquitted. On the second charge, however, the court ruled that Ms Özsöğüt had indeed been using the Press Conference to “make propaganda in favour of a terrorist organisation” and sentenced her to 15-months of prison - the maximum for this kind of “crime”.  The court agreed to release her as she had already served 8 months of her “sentence”.

Ms Özsöğüt’s lawyer will be appealing to the high court of Yargitay on this second charge. PSI will continue to monitor the situation and support Ms Özsögüt’s appeal.

In a message to PSI on Ms Özsöğüt’s behalf, SES thanked the international community for its support and solidarity via the Labourstart campaign as well as PSI affiliates, the ILO, the EPSU and ETUC, and the European Union Commissioners. PSI especially thanks EU Parliamentarian Mr Joost Langedijk, Chairman of the Turkey delegation to the European Parliament who had personally handed over the campaign signatures to the EU leaders. See SES website.

Turkey: 8409 messages calling for Meryem Özsögüt's release

4 September July 2008 - Meryem Özsögüt's trial is due to be held tomorrow, Friday 5th September. This is the fifth trial date to be set - Ms Özsögüt was arrested on 14 December 2007 while attending a press conference and charged of terrorist activities. PSI remains convinced that her arrest and continued detention is further evidence of the Turkish Government's hostility to trade unionists. Please support the LabourStart Act NOW campaign that PSI has launched for her release.

PSI campaign collects 7000 signatures calling for Meryem Özsögüt's release

On Sunday 13 July, PSI appealed to the EU leaders gathered in Paris discussing the Mediterranean Union to urge the Turkish government to release Meryem Özsögüt. Two days previously, PSI handed a total of almost 7,000 messages of support from around the World to EU parliamentarian Joost Lagendijk, chairman of the Turkey delegation of the European Parliament. Peter Waldorff, general secretary of PSI, welcomes Lagendijk's actions to raise the unacceptable detention of Ms Özsögüt within the EU and with the EU presidency currently held by France.

• Press Release - PSI demands immediate release of Turkish trade union leader Özsögüt
• List of signatures calling for Meryem's release (large pdf - 942 KB)

Meryem Özsögut trial postponed again

9 July 2008 - Meryem's Özsögüt's fourth trial date was set for today, Wednesday 9 July. Despite the strong presence of many members of her union, SES, she has still not been released. A new trial date, the fifth since January, has been set for 5 September. Please support the LabourStart Act NOW campaign that PSI has launched for her release.

Trade unions branded as terrorist organisations.

4 June 2008 - In a strongly-worded letter to the Turkish government PSI has once again called for the immediate release of Meryem Özsögüt. The Turkish government had responded to PSI’s initial letter of protest (see below) claiming that Ms Özsögüt had been arrested in connection with “being a member of a terrorist organisation” and “for making propaganda in favour of the terrorist organisation”.

PSI remains convinced that the arrest of Ms Özsögüt and her continued detention in an “F-type’ prison is further evidence of the Turkish Government’s hostility to trade unionists and its determination to use whatever means at its disposal to repress the legitimate activities of trade unions in Turkey.

PSI will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Meryem Özsögut remains under arrest

7 March 2008 - PSI recently wrote to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressing concern at the arrest of Ms Meryem Özsögüt a management board member of the SES – the trade union of public employees in health and social services. PSI believes that her arrest was motivated solely by her activities as a trade union leader. There are also concerns for Ms Özsögüt’s safety whilst in police custody.

Following letters from PSI and affiliates and the EPSU, Ms. Özsögut’s trial was unexpectedly brought forward to 22nd February instead of the expected five-month delay. However, although seven of the 12 defendants were recently released, the trials of Ms Özsögut and four other defendants were deferred and they remain under arrest.

A new trial will be held on 25th March. PSI will continue to monitor the situation closely and has already sent a further letter of protest urging the Turkish government to release Ms. Özsögut and to take any necessary steps to guarantee her safety.

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