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Detained Mayor İmamoğlu Sends Letter of Solidarity to Mining Workers Union

Detained Mayor İmamoğlu Sends Letter of Solidarity to Mining Workers Union

From Cumhuriyet · (1h ago) Turkish Positive tone

Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu sent a letter from prison to the Independent Mining Workers' Union, expressing solidarity with the Doruk Madencilik workers.
  • İmamoğlu praised the workers' struggle for their rights and highlighted the importance of genuine trade unionism in a system favoring capital.
  • The union thanked İmamoğlu for his support and reiterated calls for his immediate release from unjust detention.

From the confines of Silivri prison, Istanbul's detained Mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, has extended a powerful message of solidarity to the Independent Mining Workers' Union. His letter, shared by the union, voices strong support for the workers of Doruk Madencilik in their hard-won struggle for rights and fair treatment. This act underscores İmamoğlu's continued engagement with labor issues despite his incarceration.

In his message, İmamoğlu lauded the "honorable and just struggle" and the "strong stance" of the mining workers. He expressed "great happiness" at their success in achieving their rights, characterizing the Independent Mining Workers' Union's support for labor as a prime example of effective trade unionism. This perspective from İmamoğlu highlights a critical view of the current socio-economic climate in Turkey, where he perceives a systemic bias favoring capital over labor, leading to widespread inequality.

Doruk maden işçilerinin onurlu ve haklı mücadelelerini, güçlü duruşlarını ilgiyle takip ettim. Maden işçilerimizin direnişlerinde başarıya ulaşarak haklarını almalarından büyük bir mutluluk duydum. Bağımsız Maden iş olarak bu süreçte işçinin yanında, emekten ve haktan yana duruşunuz sendikal mücadele-nin en güzel örneklerinden biri olmuştur.

— Ekrem İmamoğluExpressing support and happiness for the success of the Doruk Madencilik workers' struggle.

The union, in turn, expressed profound gratitude for İmamoğlu's solidarity and concern. They used the occasion to once again emphasize the injustice of his detention, stating, "We underline once again that his unjust imprisonment must end immediately." This exchange reveals a deep connection between İmamoğlu and the labor movement, positioning him as a symbol of resistance against perceived governmental and economic injustices. For Cumhuriyet, a publication often critical of the current government, this narrative reinforces the idea of İmamoğlu as a champion of the oppressed and a victim of political persecution.

Her alanda eşitsizliğin toplumsal yapının temeline yayıldığı, gelir eşitsizliğinin rekor seviyelere ulaştığı, iktidarın tüm kaynaklarıyla sermayenin yanında durarak işçinin, emekçinin ezilmesine ortak olduğu bu düzende gerçek sendikacılığa her zamankinden daha çok ihtiyacımız var. Bu uğurda verdiğiniz mücadele ve teşkil ettiğiniz örnek için yürekten teşekkür ediyorum. Çalışmalarınızda başarılar diliyor; alın teri için direnen tüm emekçilere Silivri'den en Sıcak selamlarımı sunuyorum.

— Ekrem İmamoğluCritiquing the socio-economic system and emphasizing the need for genuine trade unionism, while sending greetings from prison.
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Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.