(12 June 2009, Brussels) In the closing session of the 8th EPSU congress, delegates heard from Meryem Özsögüt from the Turkish health union SES (see full speech below). She gave a harrowing account of the arrest and torture that she had been subjected at the hands of the Turkish authorities. In 2008 she had organized a press conference to denounce executions carried out by the authorities. She was summarily arrested at gunpoint and detained without trial.
She thanked EPSU and Public Service International for their help in organizing an international solidarity campaign to secure her release. Ms. Özsögüt gave details of some of the multiple human rights violations against trade unionists in Turkey.
In her address, which received a standing ovation from the assembled delegates, she stated that her presence at congress was an example of the importance of trade unions working together across borders.
Before introducing the 10 action points for public services, which closed the congress, she ended her intervention with a rallying call of “long live international solidarity”.
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