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Backing for detained Turkish road transport workers
17 April 2008
 |  |  view larger image | | | Tumtis representatives hear their President, Kenan Ozturk, address the union’s congress last year: they are now fighting for the freedom of seven of their members | |
The ITF has pledged support for seven members of a Turkish road transport union, who have been in prison since November last year.
The Ankara branch members of the ITF-affiliated road transport union Türkiye Motorlu Tasit Isçileri Sendikasi (Tumtis) are currently being held in Sincan prison in the capital. They were detained on 20 November 2007 and formally arrested three days later. Ten other members who were detained at the same time were subsequently released. However, the seven members, along with eight others, now face charges – they have been accused of “setting up a criminal organisation”. If found guilty, court action will be taken to shut down the union. The detentions coincide with the union’s attempts to run two organising campaigns. The first hearing is due to take place on 6 June.
The ITF has promised to support the detained trade unionists by taking a number of steps including: establishing an online campaign and seeking the support of the European Parliament’s human rights department as well as Amnesty International. The ITF also plans to send further protest letters to the Turkish authorities to follow one that was sent to Prime Minister Reçep Tayyip Erdoğan in November after the arrests were made.
ITF Inland Transport Section Secretary commented: “There is no evidence to suggest that the union is a criminal organisation. These kinds of attacks on trade union organisations directly violate the internationally established conventions protecting trade union rights - which Turkey has ratified. If we don’t stand up for trade union rights, countries such as Turkey, will continue to stamp on them.”
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