Solidarity with Turkey's first Students' Union

GENC-SEN, Turkey’s first and only students’ union was founded in December 2007 to defend students and fight for their demands on a national level. Starting as a small concern GENC-SEN has grown to over 1500 members and 27 university and college branches with backing from a national trade union federation. GENC- SEN branches have run a range of progressive campaigns that would be familiar to many student activists and officers in Britain.

However since its foundation their branches were targeted by the government one by one. Branch meetings were unlawfully barred posters and leaflets confiscated. Some state officials have arbitrarily declared some branches “illegal”. Now such attacks have become nation with the Governorship of Istanbul on behalf of the ministry of the interior taking a court case against the union. They are claiming that the “Trade Union Act no.2821 does not provide for the freedom of association for students.” The case has been pushed back to the 27th of July and may continue for some time.

NUS have sent messages of protest and support as well as raising the matter with members of the government. Our Turkish comrades have asked for unions and activists to fax messages of protests to:

Ministry of Interior, Fax: 0090 3124181795
Governorship of Istanbul, fax: +90 212 512 20 86

Messages of solidarity should be sent to: gencsen@disk.org.tr