Teachers protest ruling party official's refusal to meet amid hunger strike

A delegation representing private sector teachers and families of those who failed interviews continued their hunger strike on its third day, seeking to have promises made to them fulfilled. The group visited the Turkish Parliament to convey their grievances to lawmakers and seek solutions.

Members of the delegation met with several parliamentarians, including Murat Emir, Turhan Çömez, and Selçuk Özdağ, who listened to their concerns. However, their attempts to meet with Abdullah Güler, a deputy group chairman for the ruling AK Party, were unsuccessful. "We requested a meeting with him 4-5 times, and even though he was in Parliament, he did not respond to our request to meet us, nor did he respond positively," stated Umut Erkurt, a member of the Teachers' Union Central Executive Board.

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We requested a meeting with him 4-5 times, and even though he was in Parliament, he did not respond to our request to meet us, nor did he respond positively.

The teachers are demanding that the promises made to them be kept. Their protest, which includes a hunger strike, has garnered support from various politicians and union representatives. The delegation also attempted to visit the offices of Ayşen Gürcan and Latif Selvi but was informed they were in a ministry meeting. Erkurt highlighted that despite providing their identities and details to Güler's advisor, no response was received, emphasizing the lack of engagement from the official.

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We asked him for no more than 5 minutes. But unfortunately, the door was closed in our faces. This meeting was not granted.