Turkey Security Forces Quash Airport Protest, Detain Workers
- Workplace conditions in spotlight at Istanbul airport site
- ‘We didn’t even ask for pay a rise,’ a worker tells Bloomberg
Turkish police officers clash with protesters gathered in support of airport workers in Istanbul on Sept. 15.
Photographer: Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images
Hundreds of workers who started a protest against conditions at the construction site of Istanbul’s new airport were detained over the weekend, as the clock ticks toward the planned Oct. 29 opening of the facility. The main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, has asked for a parliamentary inquiry into work conditions.
Government forces detained 401 workers over the weekend, later releasing 275, Hurriyet newspaper cited Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin as saying. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one worker expressed shock at the security sweep, saying they had not even asked for a pay rise.