Teachers protesting interview process face police intervention in Ankara; dozens detained

Police intervened forcefully against teachers protesting a Ministry of National Education interview process in Ankara. The teachers, who had announced a march from the ministry to the Grand National Assembly, were met with approximately 15 riot police buses and prevented from gathering.

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My daughters' rights were not given to them. They made them victims of the interview. What can I say? Yusuf Tekin, listen now, enough. Why are the rights of so many people being usurped like this?

Authorities declared the teachers' assembly "against the law" and warned them to disperse. The teachers, however, vowed to remain until their voices were heard, chanting slogans like "Teachers are here, where is Yusuf Tekin?" and "Keep your promises, let teaching live."

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Was dragging us on the ground right? We were dragged on the ground. Was this what the daughters, the teachers, deserved? We don't want favoritism, we want our rights. My daughter is also here. We are all fighting. We were all battered. We were dragged on the ground. Is this fair to us?

During the intervention, around 40 individuals were detained, including the head of the Private Sector Teachers' Union, Eren Edebali, and the provincial head of the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) in Ankara, Fırat Çoban. Footage showed some teachers being handcuffed behind their backs while on the ground. Police also used shields to block media access.

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Teachers are here, where is Yusuf Tekin?

Parents who came to support their children also faced the police. One mother, Nuray Topuz, described being caught in the intervention, sustaining scratches on her arm and a swollen forehead. She expressed her anguish over her daughters being denied their rights through the interview process, pleading for Education Minister Yusuf Tekin to listen. Another mother, Fatma Sarıçiçek, stated that they had been fighting for their daughters' rights for two years, recounting being dragged on the ground despite being invited to speak with officials. Selma Güler, another mother, shared similar experiences of being dragged and mistreated while seeking justice for her children.

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Keep your promises, let teaching live.