ETUC urges immediate release of Turkish trade unionist Meryem Özsögüt
Today, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) have written a joint letter to European Commissioners to express their deep concern about the continued detention of Ms Meryem Özsögüt, member of the Executive Board of the Turkish Union of Public Employees in Health and Social Services, affiliated to the ETUC member organization KESK.
Ms Özsögüt was arrested on the morning of 8 January following her participation in a press conference on 14 December 2007 to denounce the killing of a trade union activist. Ever since that date Ms Özsögüt remains in custody and her trial has been postponed several times.
The ETUC supports the full membership of Turkey in the EU. Our support is however coupled with the clear demand that the Turkish Government strictly adheres to international and European labour and trade union rights. The “Özsögüt” case raises very serious concerns about the political will of the current Turkish Government to honour these standards.
ETUC and EPSU have asked the Commissioners to urgently press the Turkish Government for the immediate release of Meryem Özsögüt.
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