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Turkish trade unionists get bail
12 June 2008
The ITF has applauded the release on bail of seven Turkish trade unionists held in prison for more than 200 days, but demanded that all charges against them be dropped.
Seven members of the ITF-affiliated road transport union, Türkiye Motorlu Tasit Isçileri Sendikasi, known as TÜMTIS, who were detained last year following two union organising campaigns, were released on bail last Friday following their first court hearing. The workers, along with eight others, are still facing charges of “setting up a criminal organisation”.
Mac Urata, ITF Inland Transport Section Secretary, who was part of a trade union delegation that travelled to Turkey to support the trade unionists during the court hearing, welcomed the release of the prisoners. He explained that the presence in court of the delegation, which included representatives from the German union Verdi, had contributed to the decision. He stated that this “and the strength of the union’s support for its members is the only explanation for the decision to let the men go for now.”
“However,” he cautioned, “there is still a real risk that the lives of these union activists could be further endangered. The charges are clearly ridiculous, but the penalties they involve are deeply serious. We remind the Turkish government and courts that this ugly attempt to stop a free trade union from attracting new members has gone far too far already. It is time to drop these clumsy, manufactured charges and let these men go. The international community expects nothing less.”
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