The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) officials have expressed their solidarity with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) against the Turkish state’s increasingly ongoing attacks targeting the party. On June 4, HDP deputies Leyla Güven and Musa Farisoğulları were stripped of their parliamentary impunity and imprisoned.

TSSA is an independent trade union for the transport and travel trade industries. It has thousands of members right across the UK and Ireland, working for the railways and associated companies.

Mick Carney, President of TSSA said on the arrests: “The world should hang its head in shame at its failure to deal with Erdogan and his oppressive regime. An attack on the freedom of one is an attack on the freedom of us all. Solidarity with the Kurdish people.”

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes commented on last week’s arrests of HDP MPs in Turkey: "This is a coup against democracy. International solidarity is the cornerstone of our labour movement and we stand alongside all those fighting for freedom and democracy. Our TSSA union will be pressing the government to take immediate and urgent action in reviewing relations with Turkey and calling on Labour Party leader Keir Starmer to release a statement in solidarity with our sister party."

TSSA National Treasurer Jason Turvey said: “The international labour movement must stand united with our comrades against the brutal and ruthless oppression of democracy, the Kurdish people and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey. The unseating of democratically-elected mayors, authorities attacking peaceful demonstrations and the impeaching of opposition parliamentarians serves to demonstrate that Turkey has become an undemocratic and totalitarian state, with its leader sponsored by a sycophantic and servile parliament unwilling or unable to hold its government to democratic account. While we urge the government to urgently reappraise its relationship with Turkey and similarly the Labour Party to make clear its support for everyone oppressed by this regime, the entire labour movement across Europe and the world must play its part in standing shoulder to shoulder with those fighting for their freedom, their democracy and their right to protest in Turkey.”

TSSA Women in Focus also called for the immediate release of Leyla Güven and for political freedom for the people of Turkey.

In a statement published on Monday, TSSA Women in Focus said: The world cannot continue to stand on the sidelines while democratically elected HDP MPs and mayors along with over 15,000 members and supporters are detained. We stand in solidarity with our sisters in the HDP women's forum who have been continually targeted for opposing anti-women measures. We will not be passive in this fight. The political participation of women is a basic human right. We call on all trade union and Labour Party women's committees here in Britain to affiliate with the HDP Women's Forum and be the voice of our sisters in Turkey.”