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Letter to Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Prime Minister

M. Tayypid Erdogan
Prime Minister
Istanbul
Democratic Republic of Turkey

 Fax: +90 312 417 04 76; +90 312 419 20 71

8 March 2010

Health and Social Service Workers’ Union (SES) Executive Board member Seher Tümer.

Prime Minister,

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which represents 175 million workers throughout the world, including in Turkey, is writing to you to protest against yet another case of judicial harassment of trade unionists in your country. While she committed no criminal offence or hasn’t broken any law whatsoever, Seher Tümer, an executive board member of SES (a Turkish health workers’ union which is affiliated to the ITUC-affiliated national public sector workers’ union KESK) is to appear in court again tomorrow, for the fifth time in less than eight months.

Seher Tümer was detained in her workplace, Ankara’s Zekai Tahir Burak Women’s Health Training and Research Hospital, on 17 April, and was officially arrested on 20 April 2009. She is being accused of belonging to an illegal armed organisation merely because on 22 March 2009 she attended the traditional “Newroz” festival in Ankara, because she participated in International Women’s Day on 8 March 2009, and because of certain books and magazines which it is alleged were found in her house.

Neither the Newroz festival nor the celebrations for International Women’s Day 2009 were marked by any violence whatsoever. Seher Tümer did not chant any illegal slogan, nor did she carry any banner. Contrary to what the law stipulates, her house was searched by the police while she wasn’t at home.

She stood trial the first time on 28 July 2009, a second time on 27 August 2009, a third time on 23 October 2009, and a fourth time on 18 December 2009. Throughout the whole of this period, she has remained in prison. Tomorrow, 9 March 2010, she is to appear in court again.

Mr. Prime Minister, Seher Tümer is a prominent member of a legitimate workers’ organisation, which is affiliated to an internationally recognised Turkish national union centre and her actions as such have been entirely valid and correct.

Ms. Tümer was arrested at a time when she was bringing public attention to the deaths of babies, which were occurring at the Zekai Tahir Burak Women’s Health Training and Research Hospital as part of her legitimate work as a trade unionist.

During her trials, it has often been stated that she works for a union. This increases the ITUC’s concern that she is being targeted because of her trade union activities. As we pointed out on several occasions throughout 2009, and reiterated during our visit, together with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Education International (EI) and our Belgian affiliates, to your country’s embassy in Brussels on Friday 26 February 2010, this appears to fit into a broader general pattern of judicial harassment of trade unionists, which is worryingly on the rise in Turkey.

This kind of harassment constitutes a serious infringement of ILO Convention 87 on freedom of association. The rights of workers can only be exercised in a climate that is free of violence, reprisals or threats of any kind against the leaders and membership of trade unions. We therefore urge you today, on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2010, to ensure Seher Tümer is immediately and unconditionally released, and that the charges against her be dropped.

Yours sincerely,

GUY RYDER
General Secretary

SHARAN BURROW
President