A Turkish court on Monday ordered the arrest of a labor union leader after a speech supporting protesting carpet factory workers, the Evrensel daily reported.
Mehmet Türkmen, head of the BİRTEK-SEN textile workers union, was taken into custody on Sunday after gendarmes raided his home and seized electronic devices. Prosecutors accused Türkmen of offenses including inciting hostility among the public and spreading misleading information following remarks he made during a protest supporting workers at a carpet factory in southeastern Turkey.
The arrest came after workers at the Sırma Halı carpet factory staged protests over delayed wages. Türkmen had spoken at a March 13 demonstration in Gaziantep’s Balıklı Square, accusing factory owners of failing to pay workers on time and criticizing workplace safety conditions.
Sırma Halı is owned by Hanifi Şireci, a businessman with close ties to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Türkmen denounced the decision after the court hearing, arguing that the case illustrates unequal treatment between workers and employers in Turkey’s justice system.
“Workers die in factories every year, losing arms and hands, yet not a single employer is even questioned,” Türkmen said after the ruling, according to statements released by the union. “But a member of a union is jailed simply for raising these issues.”
Union officials and lawyers condemned the arrest, describing it as an attempt to intimidate labor activists and discourage organizing among workers.
Tugay Bek, Türkmen’s lawyer, said prosecutors had sought his arrest over remarks about workplace accidents and workers’ right to organize. Bek said the legal team will appeal the ruling.
“This arrest decision sends a warning to workers,” Bek said, adding that similar legal pressure often emerges during periods when workers stage protests over wages and workplace conditions.
Union representatives also criticized the ruling. Mikail Kılıçalp said the union rejects the decision and vowed to continue supporting the protesting workers.
“We do not recognize this ruling,” Kılıçalp said, arguing that the decision protects employer interests while targeting labor organizers.
Türkmen had previously been detained during labor protests in the Başpınar industrial zone in February 2025 and spent more than a month in jail before being released under house arrest, which was later lifted.
Labor rights advocates say workplace accidents and wage disputes remain persistent issues in Turkey’s industrial sector, while critics accuse authorities of using broad criminal charges to curb activism and public criticism.
Lawyers representing Türkmen said they will challenge the detention order as the case proceeds through the courts.
