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Solidarity with Turkey

Trade union rights and civil liberties have significantly deteriorated in Turkey since the attempted coup of 15 and 16 July 2016. Under the state of emergency, the Turkish government has arrested and detained thousands of workers and trade unionists. By 8 February 2017, more than 100,000 public employees have been summarily suspended or dismissed, accused in most cases without any basis of proof or evidence of having been involved in the attempted military coup. This situation continues until today. #Turkey

Turkey: thousands of public workers arrested and removed from their jobs

20 July 2016
Workers removed from their jobs after attempted coup in Turkey

It is with much concern that PSI has received news from Turkey indicating that thousands of public workers have been arrested, suspended and removed from their jobs over the last few days, as a follow-up to last weekend’s attempted coup.

Trade unionists killed and arrested in Turkey

21 January 2016

Sanitation worker Mehmet Kaplan, father of three children and member of PSI affiliate DİSK/Genel-İş Union in Cizre Municipality (Şırnak), was shot dead on 17 January in front of his house while another worker was seriously injured and a further three arrested in separate incidents.

PSI condemns brutal bomb attacks

14 October 2015
Photo: Turkey peace rally. Creative Commons: Jonny Dickens

Public Services International condemns the brutal bomb attacks in Ankara on 10 October, killing 96 people and wounding 250 peaceful demonstrators. PSI affiliates, members of the DISK and KESK confederations, participated in a peace rally calling for an end to the renewed violence between Kurdish rebels and Turkish security forces.

Turkish health workers attacked and arrested for protesting dismissals

25 February 2015
Dr Arzu Çerkezoğlu, DISK Secretary General and Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary

Police brutally attacked a group of dismissed health workers at the Maltepe university hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday 25 February after they tried to enter the hospital's offices.

Turkey: PSI General Secretary meets dismissed health care workers, denounces attack on labour rights

13 January 2015

In December 2014, the hospital of Maltepe University in Istanbul dismissed nearly 100 workers for being members of the Progressive Union of Health Workers. PSI/EPSU ask all affiliates to join the LabourStart campaign calling for the reinstatement of these workers.

Mass Rally in Turkey: “We will not be slaves of subcontractors!”

25 February 2014
Rally Turkey

Stop slavery; No to subcontracting, disorganizing and deregulating!

This was the main slogan of the rally held on 15th February 2014 in Ankara with the participation of over 50 thousand workers members of unions affiliated to the Confederation of Trade Unions of Turkey (TÜRK-İŞ). Members of the Turkish Union of Road Construction and Building Workers (YOL-İŞ) which led the action gave colour to the Sıhhiye Square of Ankara. Over 20 thousand YOL-İŞ members from 81 different cities in the area wore their orange hats and aprons.

Turkey: Stop the judicial harassment of trade unionists

23 January 2014
KESK rally outside Ankara criminal court - April 2012

PSI joins EPSU and ITUC in denouncing the Turkish government’s anti-union attacks as well as the abuse of the Turkish legal and judicial system by the authorities against the trade union movement.

PSI calls on its affiliates to take action now and tell the government of Turkey to stop judicial harassment against trade unionists.


Send your protest message, sign the ITUC online action or download the model letter