Tekel workers, who completed the 41st day of their protests yesterday, have been sleeping in -3 degree Celsius weather, pitching tents in front of Türk-İş headquarters. Türkel, walking among the tents expressed frustration to the Anatolia news agency, saying that “Tekel workers are exercising their constitutional rights,” and noting that there is nothing illegal about their protest.
Türkel, saying that the Ankara Governor’s Office has issued a notice saying that the tents will be cleared, announced: “The governor’s office wants to remove these tents because they think it’s causing environmental and noise pollution. Our workers are exercising their constitutional rights, and they will be here until this issue is resolved. If they remove them, we will make our tent housing bigger.”
Pointing out that public and private workers’ unions will gather again to discuss extending the protests unless a viable solution is proposed by the government by Wednesday, Türkel stated: “We, including myself, will start a multi-union-wide hunger strike that will span the nation. … The protests are entirely legal, and no one can say otherwise. If need be we will apply to the European Court of Human Rights.”
Meanwhile, European Parliament deputy Jurgen Klute, who brought the issue to the agenda of the European Parliament, will visit Turkey. He wants to have talks with State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç and Labor and Social Security Minister Ömer Dinçer.
