Due to the economic crisis and the exorbitant rise of living conditions that has impoverished citizens, the workers who said they cannot make ends meet took to the streets in many cities. Despite heavy police intervention, citizens called for the resignation of the government in the provinces of İstanbul, İzmir, Ankara, Adana, Diyarbakır, Antalya, Bursa, Hatay and many more cities. In a statement, organisers of the action said to their fellow workers: “We are the millions struggling to survive, so we must strengthen the fight”.

İSTANBUL

Citizens in İstanbul protested the government across the city. The protests in Kadıköy, Beylikdüzü, Avcılar and Sarıyer demanded the AKP government’s resignation while the police blockaded protesters. In Kadıköy, action by the Labour and Democracy Platform was stopped by police. Police attempted to stop citizens who were gathered in front of Süreyya Opera House. The crowd moved their march off the main road. Four people were detained.

Sema Barbaros, Head of the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Emep, the labour party, made a statement regarding the bans on protests in Istanbul.

She said: “We will continue to establish solidarity in workplaces, neighbourhoods and campuses for the demands of labour, professional organisations and masses of people against the poverty, hunger and debt that have fallen on the backs of the people.

“We call on the people of Turkey to raise their voices in their workplaces, factories, neighbourhoods and strengthen the fight against the power of capital and the one-man regime, as well as the demands for livelihood, freedom and a humane life.”

Police told citizens who gathered in Beylikdüzü that all “actions and activities are prohibited for 7 days”.

Citizens of Bakırköy came together in Zuhuratbaba and protested despite a ban order by the district governor’s office.

ANKARA

In Mamak Mutlu Neighbourhood, those who took to the streets held a banner that read “We can't make ends meet” and marched with the slogans “government resign”. The police intervened with the protesters and six people were detained.

Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) ​​students, who gathered at the university campus, marched behind a banner that read: “ODTÜ is walking, the struggle is growing” and chanted demands for government resignation.

İZMİR

People protested in different districts of İzmir. Buca Labour and Democracy Platform, KESK İzmir Branches Platform, Turkey Workers Party’s (TIP) İzmir Provincial Organisation pointed out that the Turkish lira was melting like a candle while the protests took place and said: “We are not obliged to this government, to this order.”

Speaking at the action in Karşıyaka, KESK İzmir spokesperson Veysel Beyazadam called on everyone who was unable to make a decent living to take action and face a common struggle.

ADANA

Workers came together in Adana at the Barajyolu. TİP, Civic Freedom Party (TÖP) and the LEFT (SOL) Party Community Centers (Halkevi) also supported the action called by Emep and the Communist Party of Turkey. Reading a joint statement, activist Eylül Capar said: “Turkey is not a poor country. So where, in whose hands, are the riches of our country?

“The state of the economy is being announced, and the AKP is raging. Big companies are posting record profits. They claim that ‘our economy has grown like this, we have progressed like that’… But how are we workers and the people benefiting from this wealth?​”

DİYARBAKIR

Amed Labour and Democracy Platform said that the people were struggling to make ends meet at the Dağkapı Square. The square was quickly besieged by the police. In addition to the Labour and Democracy Platform, CHP, Emep, HDP, TIP, democratic mass organisations in the city also participated in the statement.

Speaking on behalf of the Platform, Mehmet Ceylan said: “The rulers of the country are talking about growth records and a rallying Turkey. This may be true for the wealthy few and the allied corporations. But for the working class, unemployment is growing, the cost of living is increasing, the debts are rising, the bills are rising.”

DENİZLİ

Denizli Labour and Democracy Platform protested in front of the Denizli Branch of the Central Bank, under the slogans: “we cannot survive, the government must  resign”. In the action, slogans such as “Denizli, don’t sleep, take care of your livelihood”, “Capital to the grave, people to power”, “General strike, general resistance" were chanted.

Reading the press release, activist Havva Meşe said: “We will not let the government drag 80 million people into a disaster.”

BURSA

Bursa Democracy Forces came together in Fomara Square against price hikes, low wages and poverty.

Yiğit Can Karahan, who read the statement on behalf of the group, said: “We are angry with those who are getting a salary of 80-100 thousand liras from three or five different places while we are trying to live on poverty wages. We are angry with those who are rich with what they stole from us, those who exploit our labour, and those who leave us poor.

“We are angry as precarious workers are sentenced to minimum wage in hospitals, schools, roads, markets, warehouses and factories in the deadly conditions of the pandemic.”

SAMSUN

Samsun Labour and Democracy Forces read a press statement at the Süleymaniye Pass. Throughout the statement, slogans such as “AKP, get your hands out of our pockets, the government should resign”, “AKP out, people to power”, “There is no salvation alone, together we are stronger” were chanted. Speaking on behalf of the crowd, activist Betül Aksoy said: “We have to question whether we pay the rent or the bills with the money we have. We are the ones who have to decide whether we should cover school expenses or food expenses. We are angry, we are the one who can’t make ends meet.”

DERSİM

Dersim Labour and Democracy Platform made a statement in the centre of Dersim against price hikes, low wages and poverty. Making a statement on behalf of the Platform, Orhan Board, the Provincial Director of Emep, said: “We call on all our people, workers and labourers to fight together to say enough is enough, to fight against the price hikes, poverty, this order of robbery and plunder.” (EVRENSEL DAILY)