Operation Against HDP, 2 Unions in 5 Cities: Several People Detained

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An operation has been launched against the Health and Social Service Laborers' Union (SES), All Municipality and Local Administration Services Laborers' Union (TÜM BEL-SEN) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Ankara, Diyarbakır, İstanbul, Bursa and İzmir.

As part of the operation, several people, including former HDP Kars MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Council Member Mülkiye Birtane and SES Co-Chair Gönül Erden, were taken into custody today (November 26).

As reported by the Mezopotamya Agency, as of 11.18 a.m. today, the following names were still detained:

HDP: 24th term Kars MP and DTK Council Member Mülkiye Birtane; former Ankara provincial executive Bahadır Demircan; Yenimahalle former District Co-Chair Mahabat Akın; Çankaya former district executive Davut Çalışır; Mahfuz Güleryüz from İzmir provincial administration; Party Assembly member Gülay Gün Bilici; Menemen District Executive Mustafa Aydın.

SES: Co-Chair Gönül Erden; retired member Ramazan Taş.

TÜM BİL-SEN: Secretary General Yılmaz Yıldırımcı; Central Executive Board member Adem Kaya; Supervisory Board Chair Yusuf Güler.

After the operation, the SES Union posted the following message on Twitter:

"Our Co-Chair Gönül Erden was unlawfully taken into custody today in a raid conducted to her house. We do not accept this treatment which aims to prevent the struggle of health and social service laborers. Our Co-Chair should be released immediately."

Eş Genel Başkanımız Gönül Erden bu sabah evi basılarak hukuksuzca gözaltına alınmıştır. Sağlık ve sosyal hizmet emekçilerinin mücadelesini engellemeye dönük bu tutumu kabul etmiyoruz, Eş Başkanımız derhal serbest bırakılsın. pic.twitter.com/bd4xsHmcRt

— sesgenelmerkezi (@sesgenelmerkezi) 26 Kasım 2018

(EKN/SD)