‘Court will see the lawlessness in KESK case’

ANKARA (DİHA) –  10.4.2013 – The first hearing of the case against 72 executives and members of KESK (Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions) and unions affiliated to it will be held on Wednesday. The unionists to be tried, including KESK President Lami Özgen, are accused of being members of the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK). Lawyer of the case Öztürk Türkdoğan states that the court will see lawlessness and release the prisoners on 10 April.

The first hearing of the case against 72 executives and members of KESK (Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions) and unions affiliated to it will be held on Wednesday. The unionists to be tried, including KESK President Lami Özgen, are accused of being members of the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK). In a statement released on Tuesday, KESK (Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions) announced that today it will hold a press conference before the first hearing of the case against 72 executives and members of the Confederation on Wednesday.

KESK said that the press conference will also be joined by Frank Williams, representative of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Ulrich Thöne, President of the German Education Union (GEW) and representatives of other national and international federations who will also be attending the hearing of 72 unionists at the Courthouse of Turkish capital Ankara. 22 out of 72 unionists have been under arrest for months now. Lawyer of the case Öztürk Türkdoğan states that the court will see lawlessness and release the prisoners on 10 April. The operations carried out on 19 February 2013 and resulted in 60 arrests are not accidental. Previous arrests were not accidental either, says KESK. Indeed, the trade union reminds that AKP government paints a rosy picture of Turkey for the international public opinion. It argues that government made tens of reforms and amendments. It also argues, “Effects of the military on administration of the country were eliminated. It is true that tens of amendments on Turkish Laws have been made. However, these amendments are for the interests of capitalist class and employers but not for the labourers and peoples. The core and the fundamental structure of the laws which were arguably amended are not different from the previous laws’. Amendments are not structural but cosmetic.”