Members of the United Transport Workers Union (BTS) affiliated to the Confederation of Public Workers Unions (KESK) and the Press, Broadcasting, Communication and Postal Workers Union (HABER-SEN) demanded "an end to the dismissals and deportations of their colleagues" in a press release.

'We will not remain silent’

BTS head Murat Oral said: “Our attempts to urge the authorities to take the necessary measures for the COVID-19 epidemic and to put a stop to the negative working conditions have again disturbed the government. Even sharing our events on social media is seen as a threat, investigations are opened, we are punished."

AKP attacks those who don’t obey

Emphasizing that the AKP-MHP government wants to silence and suppress those who do not obey Oral added: “We are faced with many lawlessness actions carried out by the government which allegedly champions discourses of democracy and political reforms ".

Oral slammed the government saying: “If you think that you will intimidate us with these unfair and unlawful decisions and practices, you are wrong. We have never held back from the struggle against all these pressures, and we will not hold back from now on."

KESK co-chair Aysun Gezen said: “pro-government union Memur-Sen backed the dismissals and deportations of their colleagues. The cooperation between the pro-government union and the government increased the pressure on our union.”

The power of the state

Gezen said that the number of inappropriate appointments increased in the public sector: “They have threatened us with the power of the state, if the state wants to show its power, let it provide humane living conditions for the working people. Let the state stop showing its power strongly over us. Now everyone wants to look to the future with confidence. We are unyielding laborers.”