Ei-iE

EI and ETUCE strongly condemn the police raid against union members of the Confederation of Public Employees’ Unions (KESK) on 13 February in Ankara. Fifteen women union leaders were dragged from their bed and taken into custody. The union offices and personal computers were also searched.

Four days after the event, 9 women leaders, including 3 members of EI’s affiliate Egitim Sen, are still under arrest:

·  Canan Çala?an, KESK Women’s Secretary

·  Guldane Erdogan, Women’s Secretary of Egitim Sen Ankara Branch 2

·  Hatice Beydilli, member of Egitim Sen Ankara Branch 1

·  Evrim Özdemir O?ra?, member of Egitim Sen Ankara Branch 1

·  Güler Elveren, Women’s Secretary of Tüm Bel Sen

·  Bedriye Yorgun, Women’s Secretary of SES

·  Belkis Yurtseven, member of the SES Ankara Branch

·  Hülya Mendillio?lu, member of the SES Ankara Branch

·  Nur?at Ye?il, member of the SES Ankara Branch.

Six arrested female officers, including three branch members of the Egitim Sen Ankara branch, have been released on bail:

·  ?efika ?im?ek, member of the Egitim Sen Ankara Branch

·  Nezahat Asrav, member of the Egitim Sen Ankara Branch

·  Meral H?z, member of the Egitim Sen Ankara Branch

·  Songul Morsumbul, former KESK Women’s Secretary

·  Özden Özmen Gök, SES Ankara Branch Member

·  Leman Kiraz, SES Former Executive Board Member.

The raid targeted female officers of the following KESK affiliates: the teacher union Egitim Sen, of SES, the Health and  Social Service Workers Union and of TUM BEL SEN, the Union of All Municipality Civil Servants.

The female officers had been meeting earlier in the KESK offices to prepare the 8th March International Women Day program. The KESK Women’s Assembly had adopted a resolution requesting the authorities to make the 8th March an official holiday.

KESK indicated that these illegal arrests should be considered as part of “a political operation which undermines our struggle for women’s rights, labour rights, democracy, peace, and freedom.”

The EI General Secretary requested that EI members strongly protest against these renewed and serious violations of international human and trade union rights.

Please send your message of PROTEST to:

M. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Istanbul, Turkey

Fax: +90 312 417 04 76, +90 312 419 20 71

E-mail: [email protected]

Mr Abdullah Gül, President of Turkey

Fax: (312) 470 13 16

E-mail: [email protected]

Please send SOLIDARITY messages to:

Egitim Sen: [email protected]

Please send a copy of your letters to [email protected].

You will find the joint letter that EI and ETUCE, together with PSI, EPSU, ETUC and ITUC, have sent to Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdo?an here