At noon, this Saturday, trade unions, workers, professional organizations and political parties, marched from Obelisk Square to Bakırköy Freedom Square.

DİSK and KESK opened the march led by dozens of unlawfully dismissed and by workers from the 3rd Airport.

HDP deputies Oya Ersoy, Züleyha Gülüm, CHP deputy Ali Şeker also joined the rally.

Leyla Güven commended

The HDP was one of the most colourful bloc in the rally. Activists commended DTK co-chair and HDP Hakkari deputy Leyla Güven who reached day 45 of her hunger strike against isolation imposed on İmrali.

Activists also carried photos of HDP's former Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş who continued to be hostage in prison, despite the European Court of Human Rights ruling.

The HDP bloc also condemned Turkey’s threats to occupy Rojava and Northern Syria.

People won’t pay the bill of the economic crisis

After a minute’s silence to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom and labor, KESK Co-Chair Aysun Gezen read the joint press release issued by DİSK, KESK, TMMOB and TTB.

Reminding that Turkey is facing a “comprehensive economic crisis that turns the life of many into a nightmare”, Gezen added: “Our lives are affected by inflation, unemployment, impoverishment and economic stagnation. Because for us, the meaning of the crisis is the price from needle to thread. Increased cost of living. Our shrinking salaries have reduced purchasing power.”

Enough!

Gezen continued: “We do not accept that today tens of thousands of public workers are dismissed, strikes are banned. We, the 99% of the people say enough!”

Demands

The demands announced by Gezen are:

“Stop the increase on basic needs such as electricity, natural gas, water, fuel, bread, public transportation. Stop compensating the crisis with the dismissal of workers. Take into account the decrease in our purchasing power and the economic growth rates. Promote safety in the working place. Reinstate all the public workers who had been sacked because of the Emergency State legislation. Remove all obstacles to women's employment in permanent, secure jobs.”