{"id":59021,"date":"2026-04-10T16:01:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T16:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/59021\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T16:01:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T16:01:09","slug":"turkish-union-official-jailed-over-social-media-posts-criticizing-activists-arrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/59021\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish union official jailed over social media posts criticizing activist\u2019s arrest"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Turkish court on Thursday ordered the pretrial detention of a labor union official over social media posts criticizing the arrest of an environmental activist, the Bianet news website reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ba\u015faran Aksu, a coordinator at the Umut-Sen office workers union, was jailed by the Milas Magistrate Court of Peace on charges of inciting public hostility and spreading misleading information, with the court citing a flight risk.<\/p>\n

The charges stem from posts on X in which Aksu criticized the March 31 arrest of local environmental activist Esra I\u015f\u0131k and claimed it was carried out at the behest of Limak Holding owner Nihat \u00d6zdemir, a businessman known for his close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan.<\/p>\n

Nihat \u00d6zdemir\u2019in talimat\u0131yla Esra I\u015f\u0131k\u2019\u0131 tutuklamak ba\u011f\u0131ms\u0131z yarg\u0131m\u0131z\u0131n varaca\u011f\u0131 en \u00fcst leveli temsil ediyor!
T\u00fcm Akbelen k\u00f6yl\u00fclerini tutuklay\u0131n utanmazlar!
Size bi milim e\u011filen al\u00e7ak olsun! https:\/\/t.co\/Xnh047vAJT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ba\u015faran Aksu (@Basaranaksu_) March 31, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Limak Holding is widely considered part of a group of five pro-government companies \u2014 along with Cengiz Holding, MNG Holding, Kolin Construction and Kalyon Construction \u2014 that have received a significant share of major public tenders during Erdo\u011fan\u2019s time in office. Opposition figures often refer to the group as the \u201cgang of five.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u015f\u0131k was arrested<\/a> on March 31 after objecting to a land survey linked to a coal mine expansion in southwestern Mu\u011fla province. The project aimed at supplying a nearby thermal power plant requires the removal of olive groves near Akbelen Forest.<\/p>\n

Residents and activists have been protesting the project since 2019 and have filed a lawsuit pending before the Council of State, Turkey\u2019s highest administrative court.<\/p>\n

Reacting to his detention, Aksu said the case reflects the state of the judiciary in Turkey, adding that it acts in line with the wishes of powerful business groups.<\/p>\n

Yolda\u015f\u0131m\u0131z Ba\u015faran Aksu, Milas\u2019taki holding talan\u0131n\u0131 te\u015fhir etti\u011fi i\u00e7in \u201cyan\u0131lt\u0131c\u0131 bilgiyi yayma\u201d ve \u201chalk\u0131 kin ve d\u00fc\u015fmanl\u0131\u011fa tahrik\u201d su\u00e7lamalar\u0131yla tutuklama talebiyle mahkemeye sevk edildi.<\/p>\n

Topra\u011f\u0131m\u0131za, can\u0131m\u0131za, gelece\u011fimize g\u00f6z diken; durmaks\u0131z\u0131n sald\u0131ran holding a\u011flar\u0131n\u0131\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/0RB6SUnwYM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 UMUT-SEN (@umutsendikasii) April 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Independent Mine Workers Union condemned<\/a> the arrest as politically motivated and aimed at intimidating labor activists and discouraging organizing among workers, while the Human Rights Association (\u0130HD) called it a violation of the freedoms of expression and association.<\/p>\n

Umut-Sen Sendikas\u0131 \u00d6rg\u00fctlenme Koordinat\u00f6r\u00fc #Ba\u015faranAksu<\/a>\u2019nun \u201chalk\u0131 kin ve d\u00fc\u015fmanl\u0131\u011fa tahrik\u201d ve \u201cyan\u0131lt\u0131c\u0131 bilgiyi yayma\u201d iddialar\u0131yla tutuklanmas\u0131, ifade ve \u00f6rg\u00fctlenme \u00f6zg\u00fcrl\u00fc\u011f\u00fcn\u00fcn a\u00e7\u0131k bir ihlalidir.<\/p>\n

Bu tutuklama karar\u0131, sendikal faaliyetleri k\u0131s\u0131tlamaya ve emek m\u00fccadelesini\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/h9AQ4xMDgA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u0130HD Genel Merkezi (@ihdgenelmerkez) April 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

In a similar case last month, Mehmet T\u00fcrkmen<\/a>, head of the B\u0130RTEK-SEN textile workers union, was arrested on comparable charges, reflecting a broader pattern of increasing pressure on critical and dissenting voices in Turkey that has also extended to labor unions.<\/p>\n

Labor unions in Turkey have long faced state repression, with crackdowns intensifying in recent years against those critical of government policies. Since a coup attempt in 2016, authorities have increasingly used charges such as terrorism or incitement of violence to justify raids, detentions and strike bans, often invoking national security concerns. Critics argue that such measures undermine Turkey\u2019s commitments to international labor standards and its EU association agreements.<\/p>\n