Teachers Protest in Ankara: ‘Sectarian Minister Yusuf Tekin Resign!’
Ankara, April 16 – Hundreds of teachers in Ankara staged a protest today, demanding the resignation of Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin and enhanced safety measures in schools. The demonstration follows recent school attacks in Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş that resulted in casualties among students and teachers. The protest, which began with a ‘Life Vigil’ in front of the Ministry of National Education (MEB) overnight, saw teachers attempting to march from Kolej Square to the Ministry, only to be met by police barricades.
Police Barricades and Teacher Resistance
Members of several teacher unions, including Eğitim-İş, Hürriyetçi Eğitim-Sen, and Öğretmen Sendikası, gathered at Kurtuluş Park in the morning. As they formed a cortege to march from Kolej Square, police blocked their path with barricades, using buses to close Ziya Gökalp Street. Protesters, carrying banners reading “Schools are not ‘Tekin’ (safe)”, “Atatürk hater Yusuf Tekin resign”, and “We want safe schools”, chanted slogans such as “Barricades for sects, not teachers” and “Where were you when children were dying?”
Despite police attempts to redirect them to the sidewalk, the teachers initiated a sit-in protest, demanding the removal of the barricades. “This is just the beginning; the struggle continues,” they chanted. After a prolonged sit-in, they resumed their march, reaching Kolej Junction, where they again encountered police obstruction and commenced another sit-in. Students from TED University showed their support from classroom windows, while teachers confronted law enforcement, stating, “We are here so your children don’t die at school either.”
Union Leaders Vow to Continue the Fight
Kadem Özbay, General President of Eğitim-İş Union, emphasized the teachers’ determination. “Schools, which should be the safest places, are now where teachers and students are losing their lives. We, Eğitim-İş and Hürriyetçi Eğitim-Sen, started this march to express our demands, to point out the real culprits, and to explain what needs to be done urgently to prevent this from happening again,” Özbay stated. He recounted attempts to negotiate with the police regarding their march and condemned the use of barricades. “We are determined. This march will take place. If they dare to use violence against teachers who are subjected to violence at school, then let those who wish turn back; we will not deviate from our path. This path will be walked. This statement will be made.”
The teachers continued their sit-in, chanting “Sectarianism out, Yusuf Tekin resign!” Banu Ünver, Ankara Provincial Chair of the TKP (Communist Party of Turkey), expressed solidarity with the protesting teachers, stating, “The political power that brings gangs, drugs, and mafia into our schools is now talking about security measures and X-ray devices to protect our children. On the other hand, they are building barricades against educators who gather to protect their children and the future of the country, who want to march to the MEB and demand accountability.”
Second Police Barricade and Press Statement
After resuming their march from Kolej Junction, teachers were again blocked by police barricades at the intersection of Ziya Gökalp Street and Mithatpaşa Street. After a standoff, the police barricade was eventually removed. Kadem Özbay addressed the crowd, stating, “We have reached the point where we wanted to make our statement. We kept our word. Now, if the police remove this wall of shame from our sight, we will make our statement here.”
Following the removal of the barricade, Özbay delivered a press statement, declaring, “Those who roam in their offices with assistants and with bodyguards when they go out; today, they are the main culprits for these deaths because they could not make schools safe.” He vowed, “We will not be silent, we will not give up, we will not let it be forgotten. We swear that we will hold them accountable for these evils.” Özbay highlighted that teachers had been on the streets for over 10 hours to make their statement, emphasizing the ongoing violence both in schools and in society. “We will fight to ensure that this violence does not happen again in our lives,” he added.
Özbay concluded his speech with a powerful message: “We swear that until this dark order is dismantled, until these evils leave this country; until we establish a country that grants equal rights, freedoms, and hope to each of our children, regardless of their identity, even if they set up barricades or threaten us, we will never bow down. Because we know that everyone is ultimately judged by history. Tomorrow, we will continue this struggle together. As a final word: Republic forever, Republic forever, Republic forever!” The protest concluded after Özbay’s statement.
TKP Vows Continued Struggle
Banu Ünver, TKP Ankara Provincial Chair, also made a statement after the protest, asserting, “Yesterday and today, we stood by the teachers who came from all over Turkey to protect their children, their country, and their future.” She declared, “We will hold those who established this gang order, this sectarian order – the AKP government, the Minister of National Education, the Minister of Interior – accountable. We will organize every day, we will grow more every day, and we will stand against them. We will fight together until we drive all those who established this immorality out of this country; until we establish a country where our children will not die, where we will live humanely.”
Eğitim-Sen’s Parallel Protest and Demands
Members of Eğitim-Sen also spent the night in a “Life Vigil” in front of the MEB. Following a call from KESK (Confederation of Public Employees’ Unions) Ankara Branches Platform, public employees gathered at Yüksel Street and marched towards the MEB, where their path was also blocked by police barricades. After overcoming the barricade, the employees marched to the MEB, where Eğitim-Sen joined a joint press statement, calling for Yusuf Tekin’s resignation.
Kemal Irmak, President of Eğitim-Sen, stated during the press conference, “Today there is a security problem in schools. We want schools to be made safe; this is the common demand. But not by placing a police officer at the school gate; these evils will continue as long as you do not eliminate the causes of this environment of violence you have created, as long as you do not approach the issue pedagogically, as long as you do not assign enough guidance counselors and psychological counselors to every school, as long as you do not provide a scientific education in a liberal environment that does not control schools and students.” Irmak added, “But the worse part is that you are the ones doing these evils, and the people, the true owners of this country, are experiencing the consequences and the pain. We are those people, and we will not recognize this.” He called for the real culprits to be judged and held accountable.
Strike Action Extended
Eğitim-İş and Eğitim-Sen, among other unions, had previously decided to strike after a armed attack at a high school in Şanlıurfa injured 16 people. Yesterday, police initially blocked teachers from marching to the MEB, but the barricade was partially opened, allowing teachers to make a press statement near the ministry. During the protest, news broke of an attack at a middle school in Kahramanmaraş, where 9 people, including 1 teacher and 8 students, lost their lives, and 20 were injured. In response, education unions extended their strike action to three days.
Teachers are calling for the resignation of Minister Yusuf Tekin, whom they accuse of failing to ensure school safety and allowing schools to become areas where sectarian groups operate freely. The TKP Ankara Provincial Organization supported the teachers who started a vigil in front of the MEB last night. During the protest, TKP Ankara Provincial Chair Banu Ünver declared, “The culprits of this gang order, this sectarian order – the AKP government, the Minister of National Education, the Minister of Interior – we are on your heels, we are here! We will not surrender to this darkness! We will hold the murderers accountable together. We stand by the educators who protect this country, its future, and its children. We will fight together!”
Source: Sol Haber
