Skip to main content

Dozens of Turkish airport workers jailed after protest

A labor protest demanding better conditions and a safer workplace at Istanbul’s controversial new airport, due to open in six weeks, lands 24 workers in jail pending formal charges. Officials say they are provocateurs seeking to sully one of Turkey’s grandest infrastructure projects.
Security members and gendarmes are seen at the entrance of Istanbul new airport building site on September 15, 2018, in Istanbul. - Turkish police have detained hundreds of workers protesting over labour conditions at Istanbul's new airport, a giant project championed by President Tayyip Erdogan and due to open next month. (Photo by BULENT KILIC / AFP)        (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Consolas; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} A Turkish court on Wednesday jailed 24 workers, including four union leaders, pending formal charges for their alleged roles in a protest at Istanbul’s new $13 billion airport.

The case has cast a harsh light on the country’s bleak labor conditions and threatens to mar President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest prestige project: one of the world’s biggest airports that will serve some 90 million passengers. The airport is set to open Oct. 29, coinciding with the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.