|
Turkish Labor Unions Vow To Take Action Against AKP Government For May Day Violence
Turkey's leading labor unions vowed on Monday to take legal action against government officials they claimed are liable for the police's disproportional use of force during May 1 celebrations. Labor Unions Confederation (DISK) Chairman Suleyman Celebi, the Confederation of Public Sector Unions (KESK) Chairman Ismail Hakki Tombul and the Turkish Confederation of Labor (Turk-Is) Secretary General Mustafa Turker criticized the government over the extreme measures it took against demonstrators during May Day celebrations, in a joint press conference on Monday. Celebi criticized the security forces' disproportional use of force, the firing of water cannons,gas bombs and pepper spray against workers in front of and inside the union buildings for no apparent reason. He said that the government's hostility towards labor and the working class was clearly visible on May 1. Tombul said the incidents unequivocally evolved into state terror, adding they would file a criminal complaint against the responsible politicians including the Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin, Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Labor Minister Faruk Celik, Istanbul’s Governor Muammer Guler and Chief of Police Celalettin Cerrah.He said they will take the issue to the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the European Courts on Human Rights (ECHR). Turker said the unions plan to celebrate May Day in Taksim next year and called on the government to begin preparations. Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP) will also submit to the parliamentary speaker’s office on Wednesday a motion of censure against Erdogan concerning the incidents on May Day, claiming that the government was responsible for the violent incidents. Source: Hurriyet, all mainstream Turkish dailies, May 6, 2008
Posted at: 2008-05-05
| 
