From dark to light…
- More unity now
- More struggle now
- More solidarity now!
As part of the celebrations of the 55th anniversary of our Confederation, an event is held at Istanbul Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall on Sunday, February 13, 2022.
Members and friends of DİSK, which has an honorable past and a bright future, is the hope of the Turkish working class, the world labor movement and the people, at the event within the scope of the 55th anniversary of its establishment.
Mercan Selçuk Dance Ensemble, Mazlum Çimen and Mor ve Ötesi will also take the stage at the event, which will start at 18:00 at Istanbul Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall on Sunday, February 13, 2022, and will be hosted by Öykü Serter.
The event program also includes the award ceremony to commemorate the 55th anniversary of DISK friends and a cine-vision show on DISK history.
NOTES FROM DISK HISTORY
DİSK (Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions of Turkey) was founded on 13 February 1967 by the unions of Turkey Maden-İş, Lastik-İş, Gıda-İş, Basın-İş and Türk Maden-İş with the direct will of the workers. Kemal Türkler, Rıza Kuas, İbrahim Güzelce, Kemal Nebioğlu and Mehmet Alpdürdar founded DİSK on 13 February 1967 for real trade unionism against guided yellow unionism.
DİSK, the first and only representative of class and mass unionism in Turkey, determined independence from the state and capital and democracy within the union as its basic principles. The gains of the unions affiliated with DİSK increased the interest of the working class in DİSK. Upon this interest, attempts were made to lock the door of DİSK. On 15-16 June 1970, the working class gave an answer in a language they understood to those who wanted to destroy DİSK. Workers stopped, life also stopped!
After its establishment, DİSK considered it its duty to fight for the rights of not only its own members but also all oppressed and exploited segments. May 1s has always been on target because of the DGM Resistance, March 16th Fascism Warning Action and Democracy Meetings. May 1, 1977 Taksim rally was attacked by the counter-guerrilla, dozens of people were killed. Our Founding Chairman Kemal Türkler was assassinated by the fascists. After the military coup of 12 September, its executives and members were thrown into prisons, tortured, killed, their activities banned and their properties confiscated. They demanded the execution of DİSK Chairman Abdullah Baştürk and 51 DİSK members. DİSK’s 261 executives and 3 experts were sentenced to a total of 2053 years in prison in the junta courts.
After the court’s decision was overturned and acquitted in 1991, the activities of DİSK resumed in 1992. DİSK, which has grown the struggle for labor and democracy since then, continues on its way with 22 unions today.
For a new Turkey in an environment where the working and living conditions of the workers are getting more and more difficult, millions are impoverished every day, all democratic means of seeking rights, especially the right to organize, are blocked, and all the resources of the country are transferred to a handful of capital and power holders, while the people cry out, “We cannot make a living.” It is necessary to enlarge the struggle shoulder to shoulder for the “Turkey of Labour”. DİSK is determined to strengthen the unity and solidarity of these struggles, while the workers in the workplaces, on the streets and in the squares, defy the oppression and raise hope for the Turkey of Labor.
DİSK, which has an honorable past and a bright future, is the hope of the Turkish working class, the world labor movement and the people, and invites all its members and friends to come together on its 55th anniversary.