Worker protests in Turkey: 65 strikes in 40 days

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Workers throughout Turkey carried out 65 strikes between January 6 and February 14, according to the Labor Studies Community (EÇT), a group of academics, researchers and union experts.

İstanbul, the largest city of the country, and the southeastern province of Gaziantep had 22 strikes each, the highest number. There were five strikes in İzmir, four strikes in Kocaeli, and three strikes in Mersin.

The sectors with the highest number of strikes are textiles, delivery (transportation) and petrochemistry.

The strikes and worker protests came after a sharp increase in the inflation rate, which was 48.69 percent in January, according to the official figures.

While the government raised the minimum wage by 50 percent, those who were earning more than the minimum wage got much lower raises, which triggered protests and strikes. (AEK/VK)