16 Unions Demand Release of Detained Labor Leaders

Sixteen unions under the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) have issued a joint statement demanding the immediate release of Gökay Çakır, General Chairman of the Independent Miners' Union (Bağımsız Maden-İş), and Başaran Aksu, the union's Organizing Specialist. The two labor leaders were arrested on Wednesday evening in Ankara and sent to prison by a court.

Çakır and Aksu were leading a protest in Ankara for weeks, advocating for the rights of miners who have not received their due wages and compensation. The statement condemned their arrest as a direct assault on the miners' struggle for rights, the labor movement, and the entire working class. "We do not accept this unlawful decision and demand the immediate release of Gökay Çakır and Başaran Aksu," the unions declared.

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We do not accept this unlawful decision and demand the immediate release of Gökay Çakır and Başaran Aksu.

The miners, employed by Doruk Madencilik and Eti Gümüş, have been fighting since April for unpaid wages, severance pay, and insurance premiums. Despite promises made during negotiations, the company has failed to disburse the owed amounts. The workers and union officials have faced repeated police interventions and seven detentions during their 18-day protest in Ankara.

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This is a direct attack on the miners' struggle for rights, the labor movement, and the entire working class.

Çakır was detained at the union's headquarters in Soma, while Aksu was apprehended during a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. Both were subsequently arrested on charges of "inciting public hatred and animosity." The unions argue that the true reason for their arrest is their leadership in the miners' legitimate fight, aiming to suppress the protest and intimidate the labor movement.

The statement emphasized that union activities, organizing workers, making statements, protesting, and seeking rights are not crimes but fundamental freedoms protected by the constitution. The unions highlighted that the focus is on those demanding their rightful earnings, not on employers accumulating wealth through exploitation. They called for an end to police interventions, detentions, arrests, and all suppression tactics against workers and unions fighting for their rights.

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Union activities, organizing workers, making statements, protesting, and seeking rights are not crimes! These are fundamental freedoms protected by the constitution.