17/09/09 Update: A first court hearing in Erzurum, Turkey, has released a trade unionist on bail but decided that he will still have to face charges for ‘terrorist offences’ that have been widely rejected worldwide. Read ITF Press Release.

11/09/09
Take action for trade unionists charged in Turkey

A member of the ITF’s affiliate in Turkey, BTS, will be facing trial in Turkey on 17th September.

The accusations made against him, and against other trade unionists is that they were associated with a terrorist group  - when they were in fact participating legitimately in trade union activities that in no way contradicted the Turkish law

Act now and send a protest to the Turkish authorities

اتخذ إجراء: أرسل رسالة احتجاج

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Nejat Sezginer of BTS and Onder Dogan, a teachers’ union leader, were arrested in February. Other teachers’ union activists and members of the national centre, KESK have also been detained; more than 30 people have been arrested since 25 February 2009 in several cities. International trade union organisations including the ITF, Education International and the ITUC are working closely on these cases.

Currently the unionists remain in prison. A court hearing for Nejat Sezginer will take place on 17 September 2009 in Erzurum. In another case involving Hasan Soysal of the BTS’s Izmir Branch, the first hearing is expected in mid-November.

Take Action by sending a protest email using the link above, or unions wishing to send a letter or fax can use the following details and model letter:

Model letter:

Dear ,

I am writing to you on behalf of 4.5 million transport workers worldwide represented by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) in support of its Turkish affiliate, BTS.

I understand that two trade union leaders in the Sivas Province were arrested on 25 February 2009.  They are Nejat Sezginer, the President of BTS Sivas Branch and Onder Dogan the President of Egitim-Sen Sivas Branch. 

Through regular coordination with other international trade union organisations including the ITUC and Education International, we have learned that similar arrests and accusations were made in April and May.

This series of events constitutes a grave violation of the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).  The international trade union movement is working closely for justice in all these cases.

The ITF intends to send a representative to the court hearing on the 17th to observe the conditions of the trial.  In particular, we understand that it may not be possible for the trade unionists’ lawyers to have access to all the information they should.  We also intend to monitor whether the defendants have been properly treated in detention. 

The ITF understands that Nejat Sezginer and Onder Dogan participated legitimately in trade union activities that in no way contradicted the Turkish law.  The accusations made against them that they were associated with a terrorist group are deplorable, groundless and would appear to constitute anti-union harassment.

For this reason, and on behalf on ITF affiliates worldwide, I strongly advocate that you intervene to secure the immediate release of these trade unionists.

The ITF and its affiliates, in conjunction with the wider international trade union movement will in any case be monitoring this case carefully, and is of course preparing to contact the relevant authorities such as the International Labour Organisation and the offices of the European Union, as necessary. 

Thanking you for your attention, I would be very grateful for your comments on this matter,

Yours sincerely

  

List of government offices:

• President of Turkey, Mr. Abdullah Gül, Cumhurbaskanligi 06100 Ankara, Turkey; Fax: +90 312 468 5026; Email: cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr
  
  
• Prime Minister, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Office of the Prime Minister Basbakanlik 06573 Ankara, Turkey, Fax: + 90 312 417 0476; receptayyip.erdogan@basbakanlik.gov.tr
  
  
• Interior Minister, Mr. Beşir Atalay, Ministry of Interior, Içisleri Bakanligi, 06644 Ankara, Turkey; Fax: + 90 312 418 17 95 / +90 312 418 7696, besir.atalay@icisleri.gov.tr
  
  
• Justice Minister, Mr. Sadullah Ergin, Ministry of Justice/ Adalet Bakanligi, 06659 Ankara, Turkey; Fax: + 90 312 414 62 26
  
  
• Foreign Minister Mr. Ahmed Davudoglu, Office of the Prime Minister, Basbakanlik, 06573 Ankara, Turkey; Fax: +90 312 287 88 11
  
  
• Ambassador, Mr. Ahmet Üzümcü, Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations in Geneva, Ch. du Petit-Saconnex 28b - CP 271, CH-1211, Geneva 19, Switzerland, E-mail : mission.turkey@ties.itu.int Fax: +41 22 734 08 59
  
  
• Diplomatic Mission of Turkey to the European Union in Brussels, avenue Louis Lepoutre, 99, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 340 98 79.
  
  
• Minister of Labour and Social Security, Mr. Omer Dincer, İnönü Bulvarı No:42 Pk: 06520 Emek / ANKARA, iletisim@csgb.gov.tr