He had made headlines for violence against workers! Minister Işıkhan visits Mayor Tiryaki for 'May 1st'

In Ankara, Altındağ Mayor Veysel Tiryaki of the AKP disregarded the supplementary protocol signed with workers, cut their fringe benefits, and offered them low wages. When no agreement could be reached in the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations with the Hizmet-İş Union, which is affiliated with the pro-government Hak-İş Confederation, the workers began to seek their rights. Following the workers' protests, Tiryaki forced them to resign from the union. Tiryaki first paid lower salaries to those who did not want to resign, and subsequently fired 46 unionized workers during the month of Ramadan.

According to the report in Cumhuriyet; the employees, who were trying to defend their rights and opposing the dismissal of their colleagues, set up a resistance tent in the park next to the municipal building.

HE ATTACKED THE WORKERS' TENT AND PUNCHED THE UNION BRANCH PRESIDENT

Tiryaki, who had previously mocked the tent set up by the workers during a municipal council meeting by saying, “I guess there are many tent enthusiasts in this country,” attacked the workers' tent on April 11. Mayor Tiryaki, who kicked and tore down the tent—which had a Turkish flag wrapped around its poles—along with his deputy mayors, also punched Union Branch President Recep Dere.

MINISTER IŞIKHAN PAID A VISIT

In a statement following the incident, Tiryaki did not apologize to the workers but instead accused those seeking their rights of ‘not working at the municipality.’ The EPSU (European Federation of Public Service Unions), representing 217 unions and 8 million workers from 47 countries, also sent a text condemning the AKP Mayor Tiryaki, stating that it stands in solidarity with the municipal workers.

No statement has come from the AKP regarding the attitude of Tiryaki, who used violence against workers and was condemned across Europe. On the night connecting April 30 to May 1st, Labor and Solidarity Day, Mayor Tiryaki visited the workers who continued to work at the municipality.

Tiryaki was accompanied by Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan. Minister Işıkhan's social media posts showing him side-by-side with Tiryaki drew reactions from citizens.

News Source: 12punto