Turkey is one of the 10 worst countries in the world for working people, according to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). The Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG) recorded nearly 2,000 fatal work-related accidents in 2023 and 31,131 fatal accidents since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in November 2002.
According to occupational safety experts and union leaders, people have been suffering from lax work safety standards for decades in Turkey, where workplace accidents are nearly a daily occurrence.
Furthermore, they have criticized the government for turning the country into a source of cheap labor for Europe at the expense of proper safety measures. Workers often feel obliged to work under unsafe conditions fearing that they will become jobless and unable to support their families.
Union leaders on several occasions said poor working conditions in Turkey were directly related to the government’s oppressive policies and that a stronger democracy was vital for improving workers’ rights. Government policies have made it impossible for workers to join unions or demonstrate for better working conditions and safety precautions.
According to an ITUC report, the Turkish government imposed severe restrictions on civil liberties, and workers’ rights were violated with police crackdowns on protests and the arbitrary arrest of union leaders.
Turkey was categorized as a country where there was “no guarantee of labor rights,” meaning that while a country’s legislation may spell out certain rights, workers effectively have no access to these rights and are therefore exposed to autocratic regimes and unfair labor practices.
Here is some of the most important news from 2023 in the area of labor rights:
German companies planned to end trade with Turkish suppliers violating human rights
With the entry into force of a new law in Germany holding companies accountable for human rights and environmental violations in their supply chains, Turkish companies risked falling under the same legislation and excluded from doing business with Germany in the event of human rights violations in the production of their exports. More…
Medical groups, rights organizations called on Turkey to end persecution of doctors
In a joint letter addressed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, leading international medical and human rights organizations called on Turkey to drop charges against the leadership of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB). More…
Nuclear power plant in southern Turkey fired 30 workers for volunteering in earthquake region, union claimed
The Construction Workers Union (İnşaat-İş) claimed a nuclear power plant in the southern Turkish province of Mersin fired 30 construction workers who had volunteered to join search and rescue efforts after Turkey was struck by devastating earthquakes on February 6. More…
Turkey was among 10 worst countries for working people: ITUC
A yearly report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on labor rights revealed that Turkey was one of the 10 worst countries in the world for working people. According to the Brussels-based ITUC, workers’ freedoms and rights continued to be relentlessly denied with police crackdowns on protests in Turkey in 2022. More…
Seasonal workers attacked by locals in southwest Turkey for speaking Kurdish
Three Kurdish seasonal workers were allegedly attacked for speaking Kurdish by a group of locals in Bodrum, a popular tourist destination in southwestern Turkey. More…
Turkey ranked 5th in world index measuring prevalence of modern slavery
There were more than 1.3 million people living in modern slavery in Turkey, which ranked fifth among 151 countries in which modern slavery has been the most prevalent. The study, which concerns data from 2021, was produced by the Australian-based human rights organization Walk Free. More…
Record number of doctors sought to leave Turkey after May 14 election
Statistics from the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) showed that a record number of 144 physicians applied for a certificate of good standing in advance of moving abroad after the May general election. Doctors in Turkey increasingly continued to leave the country as the AKP government failed to meet their demands for manageable workloads and increased security and pay. More…
Turkey needs a stronger democracy to improve workers’ rights, said union representatives
Union representatives in Turkey spoke to the media on the occasion of May 1, Labor Day, and said the country needed a stronger democracy to improve workers’ rights. In an interview with Deutsche Welle Turkish service, union officials said they demand freedom and democracy for all members of society. “Democracy in Turkey is weakened, and we need to work on building a stronger democratic rule,” said Adnan Serdaroğlu from the United Metal Workers Union (Birleşik Metal-İş). “This also means that we demand that workers’ rights improve and be comparable to rights in other democratic countries.” More…
888 child workers have died in occupational accidents in Turkey during AKP rule: ISIG
A total of 888 child workers have died in work-related accidents since the AKP came to power in November 2002. More…
Dock worker drowned after falling into water without life vest
A 20-year-old dock worker in Istanbul’s Tuzla dockyard died after falling into the sea, once again raising concern over workplace safety in Turkey. Ibrahim Dal’s body was discovered two hours later without a life vest, which according to regulations he should have been wearing. In a tweet the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG) said it was outrageous the employer had not ensured workers were wearing their safety equipment. More…
Seasonal workers killed in traffic accident in southeastern Turkey’s Urfa province
Three seasonal workers died and 17 others were injured in a traffic accident in southeastern Urfa province, once again raising concerns over occupational safety, Turkish media reported. A van carrying the seasonal workers crashed into a wall, killing three female laborers. More…
At least 40 child workers died in Turkey in first eight months of 2023: opposition MP
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Fethi Açıkel announced that at least 40 child workers in Turkey lost their lives in the first eight months of the year. More…
Record number of doctors sought to leave Turkey in September, TTB data showed
Statistics from the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) showed that a record number of 321 physicians applied for a certificate of good standing in advance of moving abroad in September, with the total reaching 1,649 in the first nine months of 2023. More…
3 doctors took their own lives in a single day: Turkish Medical Association
The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) announced that three young doctors died by suicide in different parts of Turkey in single day, calling for immediate measures to address the various problems faced by the country’s physicians. More…
Amnesty Int’l fired 8 employees after withdrawing from collective bargaining talks
The Turkey branch of London-based Amnesty International fired eight of its 24 employees after the failure of collective bargaining talks with a labor union representing the employees. More…
190 miners in Turkey went on a hunger strike for unpaid wages and benefits
Coal miners working in a mine belonging to Doruk Madencilik in the western Turkish province of Eskişehir went on a hunger strike, demanding unpaid wages and benefits. Seven of the 190 miners were hospitalized. More…
Nearly 2,000 workers died in occupational accidents in 2023: ISIG
Turkey recorded at least 1,772 deaths in work-related accidents in the first 11 months of 2023. People have been suffering from lax work safety standards for decades in Turkey, where workplace accidents are nearly a daily occurrence. In the worst work-related accident in the country’s history, 301 miners lost their lives in an explosion in Manisa’s Soma district in May 2014. More…
