The workers and trade unionists who had been detained for revolting against inhuman conditions at the Istanbul Airport construction site have been released. However, the judicialcontrol measures imposed include signing once a week at a police station and a ban on leaving the country. Noting that the conditions set following release amounted to unemployment for construction workers, General Chair of Dev Yapı-İş (the Revolutionist Construction Workers Union) affiliated to DİSK (Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions), Özgür Karabulut, who numbered among those released, said, “This is how they are trying to exact their revenge from workers who seek their rights. But, do what they will, workers are no longer slaves.”
Speaking to Evrensel, following his release, Özgür Karabulut said that the revolt involving thousands of workers on 14 September started over transportation problems, but spread in response to all the problems that had been experienced until then. Indicating that there had been a spilling out of the workers’ anger at all the inhuman practices and breaches of rules, Karbulut continued: “With the workers wanting construction officials to appear in front of them, the state’s law enforcement forces appeared. Then the dormitories they call home were raided using gas canisters and water cannons. Military operations of the kind seen in the 12 September coup were staged and detentions made. We have identified more than 2,700 workers who underwent arrest, 600 at police stations. There were detentions.”
Noting that the detentions sent the message, “If you seek your rights you will be detained, too,” not just to the airport workers, but to the two million workers employed in the construction sector, Karabulut commented, “They wish to silence the workers through identity checks and placing them under the supervision of gendarmerie officers at the airport. But, two weeks after the detentions, there were protests over the problems again, this time with whistling. There were detentions again. But, do what you will, reactions continue to emerge in some way and it is normal for such reactions to emerge under these conditions.”
Stressing that the detentions were arbitrary and contrary to European Court of Human Rights rulings and existing laws, Karabulut said, “We were tried and placed in detention. We remained in detention for a period of nearly three months. I was in solitary confinement. From among the other colleagues, some were in solitary and some were held in twos or threes. Colleagues in the same cases were not brought together. Some of those held along with common detainees suffered abuse. Just think, the guys have sold drugs or have been convicted for molestation or theft and they accuse our colleagues of being traitors and terrorists. They badmouthed our colleagues parroting the rulership’s words.”
Noting that speedy judicial proceedings took place and they were released thanks to workers’ resistance and social pressure, Karabulut commented, “Even a broken clock can be said to be set right twice a day, but the judicial control measures and the ban on leaving the country imposed for release amount to condemning construction workers to hunger. If you are to get permission and leave the construction complex saying you are off to sign, which boss will permit this? Site workers live on a three-month basis. You go from one site to another. You open your eyes one day in Istanbul, then in Van and after that in Adana. Judicial control amounts to holding those who seek their rights to account. It says, ‘Given that you mutinied against the boss, end up unemployed.’ The same goes for the ban on going abroad. Our people sometimes find jobs through subcontracting companies for two to three months or sometimes a year in Qatar or Algeria. Thanks to this ban, you have also been stripped of the opportunity to find work abroad.”
Stating that they would object to these bans, Karabulut indicated that the workers would continue their struggle and it was also their duty as a union to wage this struggle. (EVRENSEL DAILY)
Translated by Tim Drayton
Bülent Falakaoğlu
Hakkı Özdal
