Turkish union protests suspension of school principal for sharing picture with alcoholic beverage on social media

Seçkin Sağlam / Gazete Duvar

The Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-İş) on Aug. 31 protested the suspension of a school principal over posting a picture with an alcoholic beverage on a private social media account in the northwestern Çanakkale province.

The union previously announced that the Çanakkale Provincial Directorate of Education emphasized the “social media posts containing some aspects of private life” as a reason for the suspension of the principal working in Lapseki district, who is also a member of the Eğitim-İş.

In a press statement made in front of the Çanakkale Governor’s Office, Eğitim-İş head Kadem Özbay asked “Have religious rules started to be taken as a basis instead of the Constitution in the Education Ministry?”

Özbay reminded President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks of “For 21 years, we have not interfered with the lifestyle of any of our brothers, nor did we allow anyone to interfere with another's dress, way of thinking, expectations and tastes,” and said “We are here today to draw attention to the deep difference between these remarks and the reality we live in.”

Özbay asked the Ministry that “Have public employees been banned from drinking outside the workplace, or have you become the moral police? Have you created special units to keep track of them? Will you also check our lockers and bags?”

“They are disturbed not by children going to classes hungry or drinking water from the tap, or the education workers not making ends meet; but by drinking alcohol in private life,” Özbay added.

(English version by Alperen Şen)