MANİSA - Lawyers have been banned for union leaders and miners who were detained while marching in support of laid-off miners in Soma.
The protest in front of the mine in Soma district of Manisa by workers who were fired from their jobs at Fernas Mining after becoming members of the Independent Mine Workers Union continues on its 6th day. While some of the workers are on watch in front of the mine, others are waiting at the Soma National Garden. A banner reading “Fernas boss Ferhat Nasıroğlu makes laws in parliament but breaks the law at work” was hung in the National Garden.
STILL IN CUSTODY
Independent Mine Workers' Union President Gökay Çakır, the union's Organizing Specialist Başaran Aksu and 2 mine workers who were detained yesterday are still in custody, while miners' relative Reyhan Topuz was released after her statement yesterday.
Making a statement at the National Garden, union lawyer Mert Batur stated that those detained yesterday should be brought to the courthouse today. Stating that they went to the district police and the courthouse to ask about the status of the detainees, Batur said: “They are not even allowed to see their lawyers. We were told that this was done on the instructions of the prosecutor. When we went to the courthouse, the prosecutor was not there. We learned that the courthouse security was instructed to 'not even let the miners and union lawyers into the courthouse'. Their phones were confiscated without any decision and there is information that the detention period may be extended. First of all, we warn the prosecutor not to test us. When we set out on this action, we set out saying that we will win no matter what the outcome. We are not 3-5 miners here, the whole people of Soma are behind us.” He also called on the gendarmerie and the police not to obey illegal orders.
'WE ONLY WANT JUSTICE'
Reyhan Topuz, who was released after being detained yesterday, said that her husband worked at Fernas Mining and had been having problems for a long time. Topuz said the following: “We want social rights to be restored at Fernas, we want them to be the same as in other mining companies. We don't really want much, we want our rights.”