The temporary Justice and Development Party (AKP) Government and the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched the new war concept though the society is against this concept. Voters said “no” to one party government of the AKP and HDP passed 10% threshold so that different groups are represented in the parliament. The results of the elections on 7 June is also a strong objection to proposal for a new presidential system in Turkey, AKP’s fraud as well as war policies at home and in foreign countries and demand for democracy. The temporary AKP Government and the President, who cannot bear to obey these objections and demands, state that operations were launched and they would continue. In fact, such actions cannot happen in any State where legislative, executive and judicial powers are independent and there is rule of law.
Labour and democracy and peace groups know Erdoğan’s operations, which aim to put pressure on society and intimidate and threat democracy groups very well. Since 2009, journalists, lawyers, mayors and people from different ethnic or religious organisations were arrested within the framework of massive political arrest operations. Our Confederation KESK and affiliate such as Egitim Sen were not excluded and hundreds members and administrators were arrested and detained so as criminalise our union. Despite this pressure, KESK and Egitim Sen and KESK did not stop struggle for labour, peace and democracy.
Today, we face a new war strategy and arrest operations. Egitim Sen’ headquarters was raided and the whole building was searched under the name of criminals are staying in guest house and 3 members (Mr. Ali Alper, Mr. Emin Kılıç and Mr. Ö. Faruk Gürbüz) from its Adiyaman, a city in the south east of Turkey, were arrested on 25 July 2015, Saturday. About 2 million Syrians migrated to Turkey since the internal war started there. Authorities stated that the Government would host these people and issue temporary identity cards for these people. Egitim Sen guest house is a place which is open to members and other people. 11 guests, who have temporary identity cards issued by the Government, staying in the guest house were arrested on Saturday. These people were injured in the war in Syria and get medical service in state hospitals in Turkey. There is no warrant for the arrest of none of these people. Raiding Egitim Sen building, searching all its offices and arresting Mr. Hüseyin Kaya, the administrative staff responsible for the guest house, cannot be accepted.
The search warrant for our trade union was issued by a public prosecutor who we could not reach. It was nothing more than a handwriting document. Later, it was sent as sms to our union after police forces arrived in the trade union building and finally a written document was showed. All this process is a result of illegal and arbitrary decision in accordance with the new security package that came into force despite all our severe criticisms. Those who visited Egitim Sen trade union building for support were not allowed to enter into building but searched for security. Furthermore, personal belongings of a guest, who is a consultant of an MP, were seized though there was no search warrant for him.
Our members and public opinion should know that Egitim Sen has not done anything illegitimate Security forces target our union rather than finding the murderers of Mr. Süleyman Aksu, who was killed in the bomb attack in Suruc.
These arrest operations must be conducted against isis, which massacred 32 of our people, raped many others, and those who support this group not against those who struggle for labour and democracy. We would like to state once again that pressure, arrest, detention and any other activity to criminalise our confederation and affiliates will not stop us. We will continue to our struggle without any hesitation.