On November 26, Turkish authorities detained several journalists, political leaders, and trade union representatives in what unions and professional associations describe as a politically motivated crackdown disguised as terrorism-related charges.
Among those detained were Remzi Çalışkan, president of the public services workers’ union Genel-İş and vice president of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), and Kemal Göksoy, a regional representative of DİSK. Trade union leaders denounced the arrests as arbitrary, pointing out that even legal counsels have been denied access to the case files.
DİSK linked the detentions to their leaders’ active participation in labor struggles. “The goal is to silence those who speak out against poverty wages and inequality,” the confederation said, pointing out that the timing suggests an attempt to mitigate dissent ahead of minimum wage negotiations. “The goal is to keep income and tax inequality and keep benefiting the wealthy while workers suffer,” the confederation stated.
This wave of detentions also brought the arrest of more than a dozen journalists and cultural workers. Media workers’ associations criticized the arrests and the way in which they were conducted, with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) stating: “The detentions and lack of transparency concerning the operation underscore the escalating threats to press freedom and the ability of journalists to carry out their work freely.”
The abrupt and forceful format of the arrests has drawn heavy criticism. “Detaining trade union leaders, even though their addresses were known and they could have given statements if summoned, has no legal explanation,” DİSK noted.
In separate statements, DİSK and the IFJ warned that these arrests represent an attack on both labor rights and press freedom. “Turkey is moving further away from democracy and the rule of law,” DİSK concluded, calling for the immediate release of arrested trade union leaders.
