Workers are on a hunger strike at Kurtuluş Park.
Everyone says that.
But no one ever says:
The things that should be there aren't there.
This is not a shortcoming.
This is a collapse.
Those squares used to be always crowded.
If Abdullah Baştürk had been there, that worker wouldn’t have been left alone.
If it were Şemsi Denizer, that march wouldn’t have been a quiet affair.
But they're not here today.
And it’s not just about their deaths.
What is truly dying is the trade unionism they represent.
Because that is trade unionism:
- He never told the worker to “wait”
- He wouldn’t tell the worker to “be patient”
- He never left the worker alone
He pushed, he challenged, he clashed.
Today?
What we call a union today:
- He is making a statement
- Tweeting
- Waiting
But when workers go hungry, he’s nowhere to be found.
This isn't a weakness.
It's a choice.
And the name of that choice is:
Escaping the struggle.
Let's be more specific:
Today, a significant portion of the unions do not stand by the workers—
have become structures that suppress workers' anger.
Because controlled anger is not dangerous.
Limited resistance poses no problem for the system.
That's why:
- Workers march → no union
- Worker on hunger strike → no union
- Worker hits the barricade → no union
This pattern is no coincidence.
This is a position.
And this position says:
To keep one's seat,
It's more important than winning the battle.
That is why Kurtuluş Park is not just a site of resistance today.
A display area.
Who is really on the workers' side,
who is speaking only on his behalf—
It's all coming to light.
And the harshest sentence, the inevitable one:
If workers are alone today, it is not only because of state repression—
It is because those who claim to represent it have stepped aside.
That's heavy.
But it's true.
The State's Choice: Suppression, Not Resolution
Workers are on a hunger strike at Kurtuluş Park.
And the government is watching.
But this isn't just passive viewing.
A deliberate act of turning a blind eye.
Because that same government is extremely quick to act on another matter:
- If you gather → the police will come
- You walk → a barricade is set up
- You make a sound → the siege begins
So the state isn't nonexistent.
It's in the wrong place.
Let’s ask the question clearly:
Why are these workers hungry?
Because their salaries weren't paid.
So, is it hard to solve this problem?
No, no, no.
One instruction is enough.
But that instruction isn't being given.
Why?
Because the point isn't to solve the problem.
It's all about control.
The model currently in place in Turkey is clear:
Don't give up.
Manage the issue.
- Disperse the protest
- But don't exaggerate
- To grant
- But creating a sense of accomplishment
So tell the worker this:
“You can make some noise… but not too much.”
That is the significance of the barricade set up in Kurtuluş Park.
This isn't just a safety measure.
This is a message.
“That’s it.”
Prevent the worker from reaching the public.
Stop coming into contact with other workers.
Stop it from spreading.
Because the greatest strength of a resistance movement isn’t the crowd—
its contagiousness.
If this spreads:
- other sectors will recover
- other workers will be encouraged
- the issue is escalating
And anything that grows is a threat to this order.
So what was done is clear:
To make the problem disappear rather than solve it.
Miners are asking:
“Are we traitors?”
This question is not a protest.
A diagnosis.
Because in this country, a worker:
- valuable during production
- dangerous when seeking justice
The official language changes here.
And this language says:
“Work, be quiet, produce.”
But don’t demand it.
That’s where the barricade begins.
But there’s a serious misconception here:
The suppressed voice of labor will not be silenced.
It accumulates.
And like everything that accumulates,
one day it becomes uncontrollable.
What we saw today at Kurtuluş Park:
- It's not a fight over pay
- not a knee-jerk reaction
It is the breaking point of pent-up anger.
And this is no longer just about the economy:
- honor
- Justice
- asset
Issues like this cannot be resolved by sweeping them under the rug.
It is only postponed.
The Name of Silence: Are Unions Complicit in This Situation?
Workers are on a hunger strike at Kurtuluş Park.
And what makes this statement all the more serious is not the state’s barricade—
the absence of unions.
Where is DİSK?
Where is Türk-İş?
This is no longer a criticism.
This is a reckoning.
Because that’s exactly what unions are for.
But here’s the situation today:
- The worker is hungry
- The worker left
- Worker on hunger strike
And the union?
No.
This is not a delay.
This isn't a coordination issue.
This is a position.
Let's say it more clearly:
Today, a significant portion of the unions are not paving the way for the labor movement—
have turned into structures that block the way.
Because the worker being supervised,
is the system's favorite worker.
Not on the street, but at the table…
who doesn't shout…
that does not exceed the limit…
That’s what a “desirable worker” is.
And today’s trade unionism fosters this acceptance.
That's why:
- Workers march → no union
- A worker goes on a hunger strike → no union
- Workers stand at the barricade → no union
Because the real question here is:
The Struggle or the Seat?
And today’s labor movement has provided the answer:
Seat.
Status.
Comply with the regulations.
But what about representation?
No.
Now let’s take a look back.
What would Şemsi Denizer do?
He walked in front of the worker.
He wouldn't back down.
It would have grown.
What would Abdullah Baştürk do?
He never set limits for his workers.
It broadened one's horizons.
It wouldn’t narrow the scope of the struggle—
expanded.
What's today?
- There is a limit
- There is silence
- There is a retreat
So it’s not just that there are no names—
There's no such thing as that kind of unionism.
And this absence creates a void.
But that void won’t remain empty forever.
There’s something very important in your text—let’s just say it plainly:
The worker isn't waiting anymore.
He is setting up his own organization.
Organizations like Bağımsız Maden-İş emerge precisely from this context.
Why?
Because the worker sees this:
“If no one represents me,
”I represent myself."
This is a turning point for the labor movement.
Because that means:
- traditional unions are being surpassed
- new organizations emerge
- the struggle intensifies
And most importantly:
becomes uncontrollable.
That’s why the major unions stay silent.
Because this transformation renders them obsolete as well.
Now I’m going to say the hardest thing:
If workers are alone today, it is not only because of state repression—
is due to the withdrawal of the organizations claiming to represent it.
This statement is debatable.
But it cannot be refuted.
This Is Not a Resistance: The Unmasking of an Order
To still view what is happening in Kurtuluş Park as merely “a workers” protest” is to downplay the reality of the situation.
This is not an action.
This is not a crisis.
This is by no means an exception.
This is the system itself.
On one hand, there are workers who haven’t been paid for months.
On the other hand, a government that fails to resolve this issue.
On one hand, there is a hunger strike.
On the other hand, the silent unions.
On one hand, there are the children waiting in the rain.
On the other hand, structures that don’t compromise on comfort.
Is it still possible to interpret this situation as “bad luck”?
No, no, no.
This is clear evidence of how a system works.
Because the logic behind this system is as follows:
You work.
You wait.
You'll be silent.
But that cycle is finally being broken.
Because the worker sees this:
- Working isn't enough
- Waiting doesn't solve anything
- Staying silent doesn't get you anywhere
That’s where the system’s biggest lie falls apart:
“If you work hard, you’ll be rewarded.”
The reality today is:
You're working—but you can't get it.
You're talking—but no one's listening.
You're resisting—you're being suppressed.
This is no longer an economic issue.
A moral decline.
And societies weather economic crises.
But it cannot withstand moral decay.
That is why Kurtuluş Park is not a venue for protests—
a litmus paper.
Who's where?
- The government is behind the barricade
- Unions in silence
- Workers are starving
This trio of charts tells us one thing:
System crisis.
But the most dangerous thing here isn’t the pressure.
The print is visible.
A person can stand up to him.
The real danger:
to get used to.
- Getting used to not having a salary
- getting used to the barricade
- getting used to loneliness
Because when a society becomes accustomed to injustice,
it loses the power to change it.
But history tells us this:
No system can maintain this balance forever.
Because everything that is suppressed,
it bounces back harder.
What we saw today at Kurtuluş Park:
- It's not a pay dispute
- This isn't a union dispute
- it's not a security issue
It is the eruption of a long-simmering conflict.
And that contradiction is this:
The gap between what labor produces and what it receives.
As this gap widens,
The system breaks down.
One final fact:
This system is essential for workers who work underground.
But when you stand up for yourself, that foundation is shaken.
That is exactly what is happening at Kurtuluş Park.
That’s why this isn’t a resistance—
This is a warning.
And that warning says:
No system that disregards labor can last.
No balance built on silence lasts forever.
You'll get it done today.
You'll shut him up tomorrow.
But as long as the causes remain—
Nothing ever ends.
Not a Solution, but a Necessity: How Can This System Be Broken?
Let’s just admit it:
This table is not a “glitch.”.
It’s certainly no “exception.”.
This is a system that works.
But this system works against labor.
Therefore, the issue is not about “improvement.”.
Break.
1. Wage Theft: It Is a Crime
If a worker hasn’t been paid for months, that isn’t an economic crisis.
That is a crime.
But today, there is no punishment for this crime.
The employer isn't paying → nothing happens.
The worker is waiting → everything is considered normal.
Nothing will change unless this system changes.
- Failure to pay wages should be a criminal offense
- The government owes the worker pay-as-you-go
- Then you should go and collect it from the employer by force
Because hiring someone and not paying them isn’t “business”—robbery.
2. Unions: Adapt or Disappear
As it stands today, the labor union system is in the midst of a serious crisis.
And this can no longer be denied.
If a union:
- if the worker isn't around when they're hungry
- if it doesn't appear in the resistance
- if they aren't taking risks
That organization is not a union.
It is an institution.
And institutions don’t fight.
It adapts.
That's why:
- The grassroots will have a say
- Managers may be recalled
- Transparency will be mandatory
What happens if not?
A worker doesn't wait.
He forges his own path.
And that path becomes even harder.
It becomes more uncontrolled.
It feels more real.
3. Fighting for Rights: Not on Paper, but in the Streets
One of the biggest lies today:
“He has the right to take action.”
No.
It's on paper.
Not on the field.
Because:
- you walk → you get stopped
- you'll be gathered → you'll be dispersed
- If you speak out → you’ll be silenced
Nothing will change until this hypocrisy ends.
If there is a right, it will be exercised.
If it's not available—
There isn't any.
4. Mining: Not Just a Profit-Making Venture, but a Matter of Life and Death
The mining sector cannot be managed according to market logic.
Because the issue here isn't production—
life.
- The audit will be ongoing
- If there is a violation, the license will be revoked
- Expropriation will be carried out if necessary
Because the life of a person who works underground,
It couldn’t be worth less than a company’s balance sheet.
5. Nothing Changes Unless You Overcome Your Fear
Why can't workers organize?
Because he's afraid.
- being fired
- being alone
- being pushed out of the system
Nothing will change until this fear is overcome.
- dismissal for union-related reasons → severe penalty
- job security → real security
Because:
If there is fear, there is no organization.
No organization, no rights.
This Order Stands on Silence
This system isn't established solely from the top down.
He lives in silence below.
- the media goes silent
- Society doesn't care
- People say, “It doesn’t affect me.”
And the system continues.
But here's the truth:
When the worker is left alone, the system wins.
When society speaks out, the balance shifts.
This isn't just a matter for a few miners.
This one:
- the value of labor
- the limits of justice
- and the question of how this country is governed
What happened today at Kurtuluş Park shows that:
The person who was afraid yesterday walks today.
The person who was silent yesterday is shouting today.
Because hunger teaches.
But the struggle…
It changes a person.
And the changing person,
It is the one thing no system can control.