Gendarmerie obstructed the press release in front of Özak Tekstil: 'They shielded the factory'

BİRTEK-SEN Chairman Mehmet Türkmen stated that the press release they wanted to make against the dismissal and non-payment of compensation of the workers who led the resistance for their union rights at Özak Tekstil, operating in Şanlıurfa Organized Industrial Zone, was prevented. Turkmen said, "We came to make a press statement about the illegal usurpation of the compensation of 20 workers. Again, upon the instructions of the governor, all the soldiers and gendarmerie of Urfa gathered and acted as a shield for Özak."

It was claimed that the press statement that 20 workers, who resisted for their rights, at the Özak Tekstil factory in Şanlıurfa Organized Industrial Zone, wanted to make about their unpaid compensation, was prevented. BİRTEK-SEN Chairman Mehmet Türkmen reacted to the obstruction in his statement with the following words:

"We came to Özak to make a press statement. Three years ago, hundreds of workers were fired just because the workers exercised their right to choose a union. Interrogation rooms were set up inside. They harassed, threatened and fired female workers. When the workers resisted, the state, the entire military, police and gendarmerie of Urfa stood against the workers. They made 200 arrests for 80 days. They beat the workers with batons, gassed them and beat them many times during 80 days. Three years later, we 20 "We came to make a press statement about the unlawful usurpation of workers' compensation. We were going to make a press statement with 20 people. Again, upon the instructions of the governor, all the soldiers and gendarmes of Urfa gathered and shielded Özak."

In the statement made by BİRTEK-SEN, it was claimed that the press release was blocked upon the request of the factory management. The union's statement included the following statements:

"The press release we were going to make against the punishment of the workers who led the Özak resistance was not allowed to be made in the OIZ, in line with the request of the Özak boss. On the instructions of the Governorship, the street where Özak Tekstil is located and the entrance of the OIZ were blockaded with hundreds of soldiers, TOMAs and panzers. Our press statement was unlawfully prevented from being made both inside the OIZ and in front of the factory."