Solidarity Poster for Polykarpos Georgiadis and Vaggelis Chrisohoidis (greece)

2-08-2010 Thousands in north Nicosia demo in Cyprus Island...

The seperatist political regime which was established in the north part of our island, have been continuing its economic and political pressure upon the Turkish Cypriots in order to push them to immigrate from the island. Current measurements about salary, wages and taxes which are all imposed by Turkey are trying to be put into practice by the comprador authorities these days. Our trade unions organized a general strike as well as an existential meeting today, in order to protest the tax measurements which was on the agenda of the parliament. Our trade unionists confronted the police’s aggressive attitude. Because of the aggression between police and activists, the police used disproportional power in the meeting and arrested 7 trade unionists first, and then they arrested the trade union presidents who claimed their friends release and ended up with the probation of 24 people. Among the arrested trade unionists were Guven Varoglu – President of KTOS, Adnan Eraslan –  President of KTOEOS, Ahmet Kaptan – President of KTAMS, Mehmet Özkardaş – President of KAMUSEN, Yakup Latifoglu – President of HURIS Federation, Sami Dilek – President of KAMUIS, Ersin Hurdoganoglu- CAGSEN Secretary General, Tulug Kalyoncu- ELSEN President, DEVIS President Mehmet Seyis, HAVASEN President Buran Atakan and Oguz Kose -  President of Nurses and Midwives Trade Union.

The main target is, to omit the trade unions without administration and to eliminate the trade unions as a whole. Turkey, as the guarantour, sent military troops to the island in 1974 in order to protect the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and in order to stop the conflict; so divided the island and created a subordinate local administration in the north of the island. The only responsible element for what has been happening now is the Turkish Government. Moreover, the Turkish Cypriots are being forced for immigration with these pressures.

In order to protest the systematic pressure upon Turkish Cypriots by the police state which is created and in order to release the arrested trade unionists, we kindly invite you for solidarity to raise our voices even louder.

Best Regards

On behalf of Trade Union Platform,

Sener ELCİL

August 3, 2010

THOUSANDS of Turkish Cypriot civil servants and their supporters clashed with police in north Nicosia yet again yesterday as unions reiterated their opposition to what they say are Ankara’s plans to privatise the north’s public corporations.Carrying banners reading “Turkey go home!” and “No to privatisation!” protesters clashed repeatedly with police in riot gear under the 40 degree-plus heat.Several protesters and police were injured, and 24 were arrested, many of them union leaders.Backed by 35 trades unions and NGOs, yesterday’s “general strike and protest for communal survival” came just weeks after a similar protest against the selloff of ‘state’ airline Cyprus Turkish Airlines (CTA) to private Turkish carrier Atlas Jet. The protesters claim the administration, under pressure from Ankara, is now planning to sell off ‘state’ assets like KIBTEK, the electricity provider, the north’s telecommunications network and Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). The unions are also angry at the ruling National Unity Party’s (UBP) implementation of an economic austerity package widely seen as having been drawn up by Ankara. The UBP was elected to govern in April last year on the understanding that it would not implement the package.Yesterday’s protest ended outside the Turkish Embassy in north Nicosia, where newly appointed Turkish ‘Ambassador’ to the north Kaya Turkmen was spending his first day at work. He arrived on the island yesterday after moving on from his previous posting in Lisbon.