This Trade Council Notes
- The Head of the current Turkish regime, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Erdogan) is butchering Kurds through ground and air force bombings in which scores of innocent lives are taken including those of children. Erdogan is cracking down on Kurdish political leaders and putting them behind bars unlawfully[1]. The world condemns Erdogan’s war on Kurds[2]. Erdogan is also arresting, detaining progressive, left-wing and trade union leaders within Turkey. His crackdown on dissent extends to the country’s labour movement[3]. Both Turkish and Saudi regimes are supporting and funding terrorist groups worldwide especially in Syria and Pakistan[4][5].
- Fourteen major UK trade union leaders (Appendix-I) urge the UK government to condemn Turkey’s recent invasion of Syria – and act to avert ethnic cleansing and a potential genocide by Turkish forces on the order of Erdogan[6].
- The Cambridge mosque construction is significantly funded by Erdogan’s regime[7].
- Despite the atrocious behaviour of Erdogan which is not hidden by the British public, labour and trade union movement, the Cambridge Mosque leadership still extended an invitation to Erdogan for Mosque opening. Erdogan arrived in Cambridge on 5 December 2017 for the opening.
- Listening about the invitation and his arrival, a large protest happened on 5 December 2019 at 1pm in front of Great St Mary Church by the name of “Protest Erdogan visit to Cambridge”. The protest was attended by trade unionists, students, activists, rights groups and labour party members.
- Speakers condemn Erdogan’s visit to Cambridge and also showed their anger and disgust towards Mosque leadership for the invitation.
This Trade Council Believes
- Despite a known fact about the anger against Erdogan by British trade unions and workers, the invitation by the Mosque leadership is totally unacceptable and is a disrespect to labour and trade union movement in Cambridge and in the UK as a whole.
- Cambridge Mosque even ignored sensitive times such as the recent killing of Cambridge University staff and student by an Islamic fundamentalist, and UK general election falling in few day time, and still went ahead with the invitation in allowing a known murderer and terrorist financer Erdogan into Cambridge Mosque.
This Trade Council Resolves
- The Trade Council condemn Erdogan and his atrocities against Kurds, left-wings and trade unionists and politicians in Turkey and Syria, and his funding of ISIS terrorists in Syria.
- The trade council condemn the action of the new Cambridge Mosque leadership in inviting Erdogan to its opening ceremony.
- The Trade Council demands answers from Cambridge Mosque leadership, particularly its chairman of board Tim Winter and patron Yusuf Islam to explain why they, and their team, have invited Erdogan to Cambridge given his atrocious human rights record?
- The Trade Council calls to the next government to end all ties with the murderous Erdogan’s regime and break all its links with Mosques within the UK.
Appendix-I
Len McCluskey – General Secretary, Unite the Union
Tim Roache – General Secretary, GMB union
Dave Ward – General Secretary, Communications Workers Union
Mark Serwotka – General Secretary, Public and Commercial Services Union
Mick Whelan – General Secretary, Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen
Manuel Cortes – General Secretary, Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association
Mary Bousted – Joint General Secretary, National Education Union
Kevin Courtney – Joint General Secretary, National Education Union
Paddy Lillis – General Sectary, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
Mick Cash – General Secretary, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
Mike Clancy – General Secretary, Prospect
Ronnie Draper – General Secretary, Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union
Larry Flanagan – General Secretary, Educational Institute of Scotland
Doug Nicholls – General Secretary, General Federation of Trade Unions
[1] https://unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2018/february/unite-statement-on-detention-of-kurdish-leader-salih-muslim/
[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/world/europe/Turkey-Kurds-Erdogan.html
[3] https://www.thenation.com/article/erdogan-war-on-workers-turkey-unions/
[4] https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/turkeys-state-sponsored-islamic-terrorism
[5] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/03/macron-clashes-with-erdogan-over-anti-isis-kurdish-fighters
[6] https://unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2019/october/thirteen-major-trade-unions-urge-uk-government-to-condemn-turkey-s-invasion-of-syria-and-act-to-avert-ethnic-cleansing-and-potential-genocide/
[7] https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/cambridges-new-15-million-mosque-13211275