Eight labour rights defenders released with judicial control measures
On 1 June 2021, eight labour rights defenders from the Health and Social Services Workers’ Trade Union (SES) were taken to the public prosecutor’s office to give their statements after spending eight days in detention at the anti-terror branch of Ankara Police Headquarters.
On 25 May 2021 at dawn, police raided the homes of eight labour rights defenders who are both current and former executives of the Health and Social Services Workers’ Trade Union (SES) following an order from Ankara’s Chief Prosecutor. The eight labour rights defenders are currently being held at the anti-terror branch of the Police Headquarters in Ankara.
The Heal
th and Social Services Workers’ Trade Union (SES) is a professional non-governmental body working to secure fair salaries, job and workplace security and better conditions in the health sector. The SES represents its members during collective negotiations with employers and develops public health policies and promotes free, equal and qualified health services for all. Besides focusing on worker’s rights, SES frequently speaks up against human rights violations and anti-democratic practices in Turkey.
On 1 June 2021, eight labour rights defenders from the Health and Social Services Workers’ Trade Union (SES) were taken to the public prosecutor’s office to give their statements after spending eight days in detention at the anti-terror branch of Ankara Police Headquarters.
The Health and Social Services Workers’ Trade Union (SES) is a professional non-governmental body working to secure fair salaries, job and workplace security and better conditions in the health sector. The SES represents its members during collective negotiations with employers, develops public health policies, and promotes free, equal and qualified health services for all. Besides focusing on workers’ rights, SES frequently speaks up against human rights violations and anti-democratic practices in Turkey.
The public prosecutor transferred the labour rights defenders to the Criminal Court of Peace with arrest request for all trade union executives, accusing Selma Atabey, Gönül Erden, Fikret Çalağan, Bedriye Yorgun and Belkıs Yurtsever with leadership of an illegal armed organisation under article 220 of Turkish Penal Court, and Rona Temelli, Ramazan Taş and Erdal Turan of membership of an illegal armed organisation.
The judge did not rule for their arrests but imposed a travel ban for all defenders. Additionally, Selma Atabey, Gönül Erden, Fikret Çalağan, Bedriye Yorgun and Belkıs Yurtsever were ordered to present themselves to the nearest police station of their residence once a week.
Front Line Defenders welcomes the release of eight labour rights defenders. However, the organisation finds it worrying that the prosecutor has based his accusations only on the testimony of a secret witness without any other corroborating evidence. Front Line Defenders also calls for the reversal of the travel ban imposed on the labour rights defenders, and to ensure their right to freedom of movement is respected.
On 25 May 2021 at dawn, police raided the homes of eight labour rights defenders who are both current and former executives of the Health and Social Services Workers’ Trade Union (SES) following an order from Ankara’s Chief Prosecutor. The eight labour rights defenders are currently being held at the anti-terror branch of the Police Headquarters in Ankara.
The Health and Social Services Workers’ Trade Union (SES) is a professional non-governmental body working to secure fair salaries, job and workplace security and better conditions in the health sector. The SES represents its members during collective negotiations with employers and develops public health policies and promotes free, equal and qualified health services for all. Besides focusing on worker’s rights, SES frequently speaks up against human rights violations and anti-democratic practices in Turkey.
The police detained co-Chair Selma Atabey, former member of central executive committe (CEC) Belkız Yurtsever, former Chair Bedriye Yorgun and former SES Ankara branch executive Erdal Turan at their homes in Ankara. Former SES Ankara branch executive Ramazan Taş was detained at a hospital in Ankara where he was accompanying his sick brother, who died the same morning. The police detained another former Chair Gönül Erden in Tunceli, former CEC member Fikret Çalağan in İstanbul and former executive member of SES Ankara branch Rona Temelli in Van and transferred them all to the Ankara police headquarters’ custody.
The office of Ankara Chief Prosecutor announced that the arrests were conducted under the PKK/KCK investigation, and claimed that the eight labour rights defenders were acting as the “public health committee” of the outlawed organisation. A confidentiality order was placed on the investigation which makes it impossible for the eight labour rights defenders’ lawyers, and others, to obtain any further information on the accusations or any evidence against the defenders.
SES has been making public statements and actions criticising the government’s public health policies and the poor working conditions of healthcare workers during the pandemic. According to SES, 417 health workers died due to COVID-19. As of 31 May 2021, the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Turkey was 47,405.
During the launch of Turkey’s Human Rights Action Plan in March 2021, President Erdoğan made a public commitment to end early morning police raids. However, this practice has continued and Front Line Defenders believes that the practice of house raids at dawn is used as a tool to intimidate and silence human rights defenders and critical voices.
Front Line Defenders is seriously concerned about the detention of the eight labour rights defenders as it believed that their detention is directly linked to their legitimate and peaceful work in defence of labour and human rights in Turkey. It is particularly concerned about any possible adverse effect that the detention may have on Rona Temelli’s health during the pandemic, as she is a kidney transplant patient who uses medication and has to be under constant doctor supervision.
