Turkey: May Day rally violently repressed

Trade unionists who wanted to participate in a May Day rally in Istanbul on 1 May 2008 were violently repressed by the Turkish authorities’ riot police. Officially, 530 demonstrators were detained and 38 people injured, but the ITUC, which strongly condemned this use of excessive violence, believes these numbers to be higher.

Brussels, 6 May 2008 (ITUC OnLine): Trade unionists who wanted to participate in a May Day rally in Istanbul on 1 May 2008 were violently repressed by the Turkish authorities’ riot police. Officially, 530 demonstrators were detained and 38 people injured, but the ITUC, which strongly condemned this use of excessive violence, believes these numbers to be higher.

Authorities banned the rally just after the ITUC-affiliated Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK), the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-IS), and the Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK) said that May Day demonstrations would take place on Taksim Square, sadly renowned for the hideous events which took place there in 1977, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on demonstrating workers, leaving 37 of them dead.

The police said that they would have to use “proportional violence” if the unions were to hold actions there, and indeed the police did use violence. The Istanbul police force, reinforced by teams from other cities, attacked people who were gathering in front of the DISK headquarters with tear gas, hit and injured others, and arrested executives from DISK- and KESK-affiliated unions after beating them and roughing them up.

“Any kind of violence is totally unacceptable, proportional or disproportional,” declared Guy Ryder, ITUC General Secretary. “The amount of force and violence used by the riot police to counter the demonstration is completely disproportionate and inadmissible,” he added. “Every worker around the world has the right to demonstrate on May Day.”

In a letter sent to the authorities , the ITUC called on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to ensure that Turkey adheres to the principles of Freedom of Association and of basic trade union rights as enshrined in the fundamental ILO conventions, to which Turkey is a signatory.

The ITUC represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and territories and has 311 national affiliates.

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