Union leaders were arrested: Injustice will never defeat us!
Remzi Çalışkan, Vice President of DISK and President of Genel-İş Union, and Kemal Göksoy, DISK Çukurova Regional Representative, were unlawfully detained yesterday in early morning house raids.
Detaining trade union leaders, even though their addresses were known and they could have given statements if summoned, has no legal explanation. Turkey is moving further away from democracy and the rule of law. The detention of union leaders is an attack on labour rights.
These operations use vague “terrorism” accusations to frighten people and weaken workers movement. The goal is to silence those who speak out against poverty wages and inequality. Our comrades have fought for workers’ rights all their lives. This is an attack on all of us.
We know why this is happening. It aims to silence DİSK before minimum wage talks begin. The goal is to keep income and tax inequality and keep benefiting the wealthy while workers suffer.
We are targeted because we call democracy “the bread of workers.” As Remzi Çalışkan said, labour rights and democracy cannot be separated. These detentions are because we fight for justice in income, taxes, and workers’ rights.
We also oppose the presidential system, which has destroyed checks and balances, politicized the courts, and harmed labour rights. We speak out against government-appointed trustees and demand that elected leaders can only be removed by elections.
Attempts to silence DİSK are not new. They have all failed, and DİSK has always continued its work. History proves this:
– In 1970, DİSK leaders, including founder Kemal Türkler, were detained after the Great Workers’ Resistance. DİSK continued.
– In 1976, leaders were detained during the strikes. DİSK continued.
– In 1961 and in 1979 labour leader Abdullah Baştürk was detained. DİSK continued.
– After the 1980 coup, DİSK was banned, and leaders were detained, with some facing the death penalty. DİSK still continued.
When we learned of these detentions, we declared: we will not bow to injustice. As Abdullah Baştürk said during the junta trials: “If fighting against exploitation, oppression, and inequality is a crime, I accept this crime.”
DİSK does not hide or deny its actions. We defend them with pride. Those who tried to silence us in the past failed. We are still here, and DİSK continues its fight.
DİSK has faced many challenges and overcome them all. If anyone thinks they can weaken us with raids or false accusations, they should look at history.
DİSK will never surrender to injustice and will always continue its struggle.
Esther Lynch, ETUC General Secretary, wrote to Turkish Minister of Interior:
20241127 _ Letter of the European Trade Union Confederation
HAKSIZLIĞA VE HUKUKSUZLUĞA ASLA TESLİM OLMADIK, OLMAYACAĞIZ!
