Solidarity with our trade union colleagues on trial in Türkiye

On behalf of the Workers' Group in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), I am writing to express our deepest solidarity and unwavering support with the 8 Turkish trade union colleagues that are on trial this week in Ankara, following their arbitrary arrests back in November 2024. A Swedish journalist and trade union member of the union for journalists in Sweden, Joakim Medin, is also on trial, having been arrested and detained apparently for simply fulfilling his professional duties. 

Our Turkish colleagues are being detained with no proper justification provided, with lawyers having been denied access to their files, an act which is in violation of fundamental human rights. 

This is another example illustrating that Türkiye is moving further and further from the principles of democracy and the rule of law. The Workers' Group is deeply concerned by the growing number of cases where peaceful protests, strikes, and other trade union activities are met with arbitrary arrests, detention, and intimidation in Türkiye. These people are fighting for workers' rights, they participate in legitimate European and international trade union organisations. Trade unionism and activism cannot be seen as a crime. 

The Workers' Group stands side by side with our Turkish trade unionist colleagues and the Swedish journalist, Joakim Medin, and strongly condemns these trials that are a mockery of justice and threaten the core of democracy and human and workers' rights. 

We stand united with Turkish trade unions and all workers in the fight for the protection of labour rights, human rights, and democratic freedoms in Türkiye.

In solidarity, 

Lucie Studnicná
President of the EESC Workers´ Group