Turkish confederation to march for dismissed workers

By Buket Guven

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish trade confederation announced Friday that they will take to the streets to protest the recent dismissal of municipal workers.

The HAK-IS Trade Union Confederation will march from the Black Sea province of Bolu to the capital Ankara to protest the dismissal of 574 workers in 13 municipalities chaired by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) -- another opposition party -- after March 31 local elections.

“We are worried about the rise in the number (of dismissals),” Mahmut Arslan, the head of confederation, told reporters in a press conference.

Millions of Turkish voters cast their votes nationwide on March 31 in local elections to choose Turkey’s mayors, city council members, mukhtars (neighborhood officials), and members of elder councils for the next five years.

However, an Istanbul result of the March vote were canceled by the Supreme Election Council (YSK) after the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and its coalition partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) appealed, citing irregularities and contradictions with the country's election law.

The do-over polls for Istanbul metropolitan municipality will be held on June 23.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar