Kayseri factory allegedly obliges workers to attend Erdoğan’s rally

Turkish sugar factory Kayseri Şeker has allegedly obliged its workers to attend an upcoming rally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the city.

Thursday July 21 2022 01:51 pm

This file photo shows President Erdoğan addressing his supporters.

Duvar English

Turkish sugar factory Kayseri Şeker has allegedly sent a message to all of its workers obliging them to attend a rally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that will take place in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri this weekend.

The alleged message was shared by İYİ (Good) Party MP Durmuş Yılmaz on social media.

“Dear friends, the President is coming to Kayseri on Saturday. As Kayseri Şeker, to show that we stand by the state, you need to be at the factory at 15.30 on Saturday. The service shuttles will leave their normal routes at 14.30 and come to the factory. Attendance will be taken here and then we will pass onto the square [of the rally],” the message read.

“Attendance [to the rally] is compulsory except for those who are on annual leave and are outside the city and for those who have a very very important excuses. Those who have important excuses should notify me in private,” the message said.

CB’nın Kayseri ziyaretine katılım zorunluymuş ve yoklama alınacakmış! pic.twitter.com/Ln7MAjvEJ2
— Durmuş Yılmaz (@DurmusYillmaz) July 20, 2022

CHP Kayseri deputy Çetin Arık made a statement with regards to the issue, saying that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was in a panic because many of its supporters had withdrawn their support for the party and the rally area would be empty.

“This is why they are trying to pack the rally area using public power,” Arık said in a video. Reacting against the factory management, Arık said: “Are these workers your slaves? If you are going to stand by the state, then you will stand against the AKP which has brought Turkey to the point of importing sugar. The AKP is not the state,” he said.