In recent months, nearly 8,000 workers have been dismissed in Antep (Dîlok), Urfa (Riha), and Malatya (Meletî). Mehmet Türkmen, Chair of the Independent Textile, Weaving, Knitting and Clothing Workers’ Union (BIRTEKSEN), said that the wave of dismissals has continued to grow. He emphasized that one of their most urgent and primary demands for this May Day is to put an end to this mass firing of workers.

Mehmet Türkmen, who was arrested after the authorities banned protests by workers demanding a wage increase in the Başpınar industrial zone, later placed under house arrest, released, and then once again confined to house arrest just days before May Day, stated that the wave of dismissals is taking place especially in textile factories established with substantial state incentives.

Number of workers and employment rates in decline

Mehmet Türkmen noted that the textile sector, which relies heavily on exports, has been shrinking due to interest rate hikes. He pointed out that employers are also using the post–19 March increase in interest rates as a pretext for further downsizing. Türkmen explained: “For the past one and a half to two years, the textile industry has been going through a period of contraction. Over the last two years, there has been a serious loss of workforce and employment. Two years ago, the number of registered textile workers rose to around 1.3 million, but now it has dropped below 1.2 million. Prior to 19 March, the Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek, had raised expectations of a slight decrease in interest rates, which would in turn lower inflation. But following the 19 March crisis, instead of a drop in interest rates and currency interventions, interest rates were raised even further. This has had negative effects on certain sectors. The President of the Ankara Chamber of Industry even stated: ‘With these interest rates, let alone investing, it is difficult for us to even continue existing production.’

Textile is already one of the most labor-intensive sectors in Turkey, and it is heavily export-oriented. It is one of the key industries of the government’s growth model, which relies on exports and cheap labor. Therefore, the textile sector is among the hardest hit by fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates, and the rising costs of raw materials. For quite some time, we have been witnessing mass layoffs due to factory closures, decreased production, and downsizing. However, in the last two months, these layoffs have intensified dramatically. Especially after this recent crisis, in Antep alone, our union has received reports from 20 to 25 factories where mass dismissals have occurred within just the past one and a half to two months. We estimate that more than 5,000 workers have been laid off in total, just in the last two months.”

Eight thousand workers dismissed

Based on the figures reported directly to the union, Mehmet Türkmen emphasized that nearly 8,000 workers have been laid off and noted that many factories have shut down. Türkmen stated, “For example, Merinos alone dismissed more than 600 workers. There are many other factories where dozens or even hundreds of workers have been let go, and some of these factories have already shut down. Others have declared bankruptcy or are expected to go bankrupt. One of them is Boyar Kimya, which employs around 500 workers. There are also places that have been placing workers on unpaid leave for extended periods. Our union’s representative in Malatya spoke with workers from 10 to 15 different factories. In that region as well, two or three factories are preparing to close down, and one has already closed. Some employers claim they will open new factories in Egypt. Others continue operations but are undergoing significant downsizing. Baykan Denim is one such example. In the past two years, they have dismissed more than 1,000 workers.

After the earthquake, many factories already began to downsize significantly. Most now say they will open plants in Egypt or are moving their capital to other sectors. Some factories, however, have not actually been affected by the crisis to the extent they claim. Their production has not decreased, yet they are using the crisis as an excuse to lay off older workers with accumulated severance pay. Meanwhile, they continue hiring new workers. While dismissing workers, they often use the crisis to avoid paying severance entirely or delay it through installments. In most cases, they also withhold notice pay altogether. Employers try to push workers into accepting only 50 or 60 percent of what they are owed. If workers refuse, they are fired under a penalizing code that disqualifies them from severance. And because many workers cannot endure the lengthy and costly legal process, and because a coded dismissal also means losing access to unemployment benefits, they are forced to forgo their rights and accept partial compensation.”

Worker dismissals expected to increase further

According to Mehmet Türkmen, aside from Merinos, there is hardly a single factory in Antep that is paying severance in full, without issues. Türkmen stated, “In Malatya, they are not paying severance at all. The same goes for Urfa. In some factories, even those that do pay severance are offering workers just 10 or 20 percent of what they are owed. This is horrifying. Employers are using every possible tactic to deprive workers of their rightful compensation.”

Based on information received from the ground in Antep, Malatya, and Urfa, at least 8,000 workers have already been laid off. Türkmen warned that the actual number may be much higher. He said, “Looking at current economic trends, the forecasts of economists, and the overall direction the country is heading, it’s clear that things will not improve in the short term. On the contrary, conditions are likely to worsen. These dismissals, this mass firing of workers, will intensify, and tens of thousands more could lose their jobs, just in the textile sector alone.”

They reaped the benefits of state incentives, workers paid the price

Mehmet Türkmen noted that the state has provided 532 billion Turkish lira in incentives over the past two years and described how those who built their fortunes with public support have passed the burden of even the slightest downturn onto the workers: “Evrensel newspaper recently reported on its front page that in just the last two years, 2023 and 2024, business owners have received 532 billion lira in state incentives, and one of the key sectors benefiting from these funds is textile. We know this well. In textile, some of the regions receiving the highest levels of support are the eastern and southeastern provinces. For quite some time, both capital and the government have been focusing heavily on Urfa, Malatya, Adiyaman, Batman, and more recently Mardin and Van, opening numerous textile factories in these areas. Every one of these factories was established with massive state incentives. The land is provided for free, the state covers a large portion of the initial investment, and for the first five to ten years, the employer’s share of workers’ insurance premiums is paid by the government. They benefit from tax refunds, customs exemptions, virtually the entire cost is covered by the state. That’s the scale of these incentives.

With this level of support, especially in this region, textile companies and their owners have made enormous profits. For example, during the two-year pandemic period, the textile sector recorded one of the highest export surpluses in its history. But now, as things begin to take a negative turn, when the sector faces a contraction or crisis, their first response is to shut down factories, downsize, or lay off workers. They have enjoyed the profits of growth, export booms, record earnings, and generous state aid. They got rich. That is why, as we approach May Day, the most pressing, the most painful issue for workers in the region is these mass dismissals and the seizure of severance pay from those who have been laid off.”

Lack of organization is a serious problem

As May Day approaches, Mehmet Türkmen pointed out that one of the most critical problems in the region is the lack of worker organization. He emphasized: “There is widespread disorganization among workers in the region. These demands are being raised mostly thanks to our own efforts. We are only able to bring these demands into workers’ agendas to the extent that we can establish contact with them, speak to them directly, and meet face to face. May Day is approaching, and this is our most important demand. But the truth is, there is no spontaneous, large-scale organized movement of tens of thousands of workers who will take to the streets just because it’s May Day.

There are, in fact, other unions organized in the textile sector apart from us, unions that are officially recognized and even conduct collective bargaining with tens of thousands of members. For example, there is the Teksif Union and the Öz İplik-İş Union. But this issue is not even on their agenda. In Malatya, Antep, and especially in Malatya and Urfa, many of the factories where dismissals have taken place are workplaces organized by Teksif or Öz İplik-İş. Yet workers are being dismissed without severance, often with punitive employment codes. When workers call their unions and say, ‘At least help us get our severance pay, you are officially recognized here,’ they are told, ‘There’s nothing we can do.’ Some union representatives even respond by saying, ‘Don’t put us in conflict with the employer.’ Even in workplaces where these unions are officially organized and have collective agreements, workers are being dismissed en masse without severance, and these unions remain completely silent. There is no sign of any May Day preparation from them that would address these issues. In fact, it’s unheard of for these unions to even mark May Day in this region.”

Even participating in May Day can be grounds for dismissal

Mehmet Türkmen emphasized that this makes the demand particularly urgent as May Day approaches. He said thousands of workers should be coming together around this issue and using May Day as a chance to make their voices heard. However, due to the widespread lack of organization among workers, this is not possible for most. He added that the union has been holding meetings and distributing leaflets in recent days in Urfa, Antep, and Malatya wherever they have a presence.

Türkmen outlined their core demands for May Day: banning dismissals, prohibiting severance-free terminations based on punitive employment codes, abolishing these codes entirely, and removing the obstacles that prevent union organization and the right to strike. These, he said, are the main issues they are focusing on this year. Although thousands of workers want to take part in May Day with these demands, in workplaces where the union has no formal presence or bargaining power, simply attending May Day can be used as a justification for dismissal. Despite this, he said, if a few hundred textile workers in Antep manage to attend May Day despite all the risks, they will bring these demands and this anger to the public square.

Workers must take the lead

Mehmet Türkmen also pointed to the growing wave of social opposition in Turkey. He stressed that workers must step forward as a leading force in this resistance and said the following:

“In the recent Başpınar resistance, they banned the strike and protests of thousands of workers. The pressure we are facing is a direct result of taking part in and leading those actions. My arrest and my continued house arrest are part of this same repression. All of this shows us one thing: this government does not want workers to raise their voices or rise up against the conditions of exploitation and poverty they are forced to live under. We saw once again, during the most recent crisis, how firmly the government stands behind Mehmet Şimşek’s economic program. The main condition for that program’s success is turning the working class into an even cheaper labor force. This government wants to build a regime based on cheap labor. And when workers begin to speak out, the state responds by threatening them with its police and military forces. If there is no organized uprising, no resistance to this trajectory, then the coming months will bring an even greater nightmare for the working class. The only way to stop this is through organization, struggle, unionization, and saying clearly: ‘We will not pay the price for this crisis.’

Since March 19, we have seen a surge in popular opposition across the country. The operation targeting Ekrem Imamoğlu represents a seizure of the people’s will. This is not the first time something like this has happened. But this time, we witnessed how the backlash spread across different segments of society, beginning with the university student movement and reaching even high school students. Most recently, we saw it in Yozgat, where even in places long seen as strongholds of the AKP and MHP, people took to the streets, not just in defense of Imamoğlu, but because they now see that these repressive policies and the authoritarian rule of the AKP are threatening their own lives and futures.

Workers must emerge as a leading force in this wave of social opposition. This is why May Day is such an important day. But of course, this issue cannot be resolved simply through mass participation in a single day of action. What we hope for is that after May Day, this struggle continues with organized resistance, and that the working class takes its place in that struggle with its own demands and its own voice.”