BİRTEK-SEN General President referred to the prosecutor's office

BİRTEK-SEN General President Mehmet Türkmen, who was detained at the union headquarters yesterday, has been referred to the prosecutor's office following the completion of his statement at the police station. 

Mehmet Türkmen, General President of the United Textile, Weaving and Leather Workers' Union (BİRTEK-SEN), who was detained and released on February 14 following the Gaziantep Governor's Office's ban on protests initiated against the imposition of low wages in the Organized Industrial Zone (OSB) located in the Başpınar district of Gaziantep, was detained once again yesterday evening.

Türkmen, who was also detained when he left his home on Friday (February 14), said in a post on his social media account yesterday, "I am being detained once again at the request of the bosses. I am being taken from the door of the union while I was in a meeting with workers at the union. I will be back! The struggle continues."

It was learned that Türkmen was detained on the instructions of the prosecutor on allegations of "violation of the freedom to work" and "incitement to commit a crime."

According to the report in Evrensel Newspaper, Mehmet Türkmen, whose statement was taken at the Gaziantep Police Department, was asked questions about his social media posts.

Türkmen, who gave a statement on charges of "incitement to commit a crime" and "violation of business and working life," was asked the following question: "What is the purpose of your call in the post dated February 9, 2025, at 12:45 AM, which reads: 'The weather is freezing. It is 00:40 and Şireci is still up! There are those resisting in this weather too. Those who warm up February, those who illuminate the night. Şireci workers are calling out to the workers of the Sırma Carpet Factory belonging to the boss: Sırma out! Başpınar, don't sleep, protect your bread'?"

Having finished his police statement, Türkmen was referred to the prosecutor's office this morning. Türkmen's statement to the prosecutor is expected to begin shortly.

BİRTEK-SEN issued a call for support in another statement regarding the investigation.

In a statement made on social media, the union noted the following:

"This investigation is a direct attack on the right to unionize. Calling on workers to be unionized, to act together, and to organize is a constitutional right and the duty of every unionist. This investigation was launched not only against Mehmet Türkmen but against the struggle of the Antep working class, who are forced to work under unregulated and miserable conditions, to seek their rights against the bosses. Launching an investigation on behalf of the boss even without a complaint from the boss is to trample on the law for the sake of the bosses. It is a crime in itself to first impose a Governor's Office ban on workers who want to increase their bread and then try to imprison their union. On the other hand, this approach towards the General President of our union, who calls on all parties regarding the workers' demands and expresses at every opportunity that he is ready for the negotiation process, also sends the message that the workers' demands will not be taken into account. 

The history of the working class's struggle has shown that bans, pressure, and arrests cannot curb the class's search for rights. Against this investigation, which is clearly an attack on union rights, we call on the entire Turkish public that stands with labor to support the release of our General President Mehmet Türkmen, the lifting of the Governor's Office ban, and the acceptance of the workers' demands, and to oppose the use of the judiciary as a stick against the laborers."

News Source: 12punto