Labor crisis grows in Beşiktaş: Call for solidarity from Turan Çil, who is on hunger strike

As debates over layoffs and struggles for reinstatement continue in municipalities across Turkey, eyes have now turned to the protest in front of the Beşiktaş Municipality.

Municipal worker Turan Çil, who has been continuing his protest in front of the municipal building for approximately 214 days demanding reinstatement, announced in a statement on the social media platform X on July 13 that they had begun a hunger strike and issued a call for solidarity.

In his post, Çil stated, “We are only fighting for our bread. We are on the 8th day of our hunger strike, we are waiting for your solidarity,” noting that they had tried every path to resolve the issue throughout the months-long resistance but had received no results.

Stating that he has been waiting in front of the Beşiktaş Municipality for about seven months regardless of rain, mud, cold, or heat, Çil said that they began the hunger strike as a last resort after all attempts remained fruitless. He reported that they started the hunger strike together with Cem Devran Çiftçi, and that later, another aggrieved worker, Uğur Gülen, also joined the action.

“We are on a hunger strike so that our stomachs are full and our children do not go hungry,” said Çil, arguing that the process they are experiencing is not just their own struggle, but an issue concerning job security and the right to work.

Recalled the Şişli example

In his statement, Çil also touched upon developments at the Şişli Municipality, claiming that some workers protesting there had their reinstatements accepted, while arguing that no similar step had been taken at the Beşiktaş Municipality.

Asking, “Who does this benefit?”, Çil stated that the municipal administration should implement a solution that would benefit both the employees and the people of Beşiktaş without delay.

Issued a call for support

Addressing Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Ömer Rasim Şişman, Çil requested that the problem be solved through dialogue. Calling on labor organizations, democratic mass organizations, and the public, Çil demanded that their grievances not be ignored.

He concluded his statement with these words: “Solidarity sustains, solidarity humanizes.”