A huge hit involving 23 000 employees of an opposition-held city in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, took to the streets for a sixth day on Wednesday demanding higher pay. The Confederation of Progressive Workers ‘ Unions ( DISK) called for the elimination of wage disparities between municipal employees from other unions during the strike. The Izmir municipality, a renowned center of opposition CHP party support, has proposed a 30 % increase starting on July 1, followed by a 19 % increase starting on January 1, 2026. On Wednesday, some of those in the attack were scheduled to vote on the request. Turkey is currently experiencing an annual inflation rate of over 35 percent, according to official statistics, which some independent analysts claim are significantly higher. Local media reported images of Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay joining trash collection initiatives on Sunday as some provincial services were suspended, and piles of rubbish have accumulated on the streetsides. In recent months, CHP politicians have been the subject of a number of legal cases, the most famous of which was Ekrem Imamoglu’s imprisonment and jailing on March 19 over alleged graft, which he denies. Another investigation into reported vote-buying at a party congress in 2023 has also taken issue with Izmir’s president. In the 2024 regional elections, the government is reportedly trying to stifle the CHP, which defeated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision AKP party. Turkey was listed among the top 10 worst countries in the world for workers in a statement released on Monday, along with Bangladesh, Egypt, and Burma, by the International Trade Union Confederation. Scientists expressed concern about Turkey’s lack of respect for the right to reach and the strain placed on trade unions.
