Kesk's "We Cannot Make Ends Meet!" Rebellion: Marches For A Budget In Favor Of Labor In Adana And Samsun

November 22, 2025 - The Confederation of Public Employees Unions (KESK) raised its voice against the deepening poverty and high cost of living across Turkey. KESK organized simultaneous marches and rallies in Adana and Samsun under the slogan "For a Budget in Favor of Labor and the People, Against Poverty and Misery," demanding that the budget be allocated to millions who live by their labor, not to "a handful of capital."

Broad segments of the working population in Turkey, especially public employees, workers, minimum wage earners, pensioners, and farmers, are struggling under rising inflation and the cost of living. KESK organized mass actions in various regions of the country to draw attention to this economic crisis and demand that the right to the budget be restored to the millions.

📍 Adana And Samsun Squares Became Action Zones

One of the main locations for the actions was Adana's Uğur Mumcu Square, a place of high geographic and symbolic importance. Public employees and supporters gathered in Adana, expressing their rebellion against poverty and misery with banners proclaiming "We Are Marching for Our Right to the Budget!"

With similar enthusiasm and determination, the streets of Samsun in the Black Sea Region became an action zone. KESK gathered with the people of Samsun, chanting the demand "Budget for the People, Democratic Turkey!" The slogans heard throughout the march demonstrated a strong stance against economic injustice and the usurpation of rights.

📢 "No Salvation Alone! Either All Together, Or None Of Us!"

Statements made during the Samsun march emphasized the scope of the struggle and the diversity of the participants. KESK stated that those in the squares today represent not only public employees but also millions of people living by their labor, including the unemployed, minimum wage earners, students, women, and farmers.

The Confederation harshly criticized the government's economic policies, pointing out the injustice in budget distribution:

"We are raising our voice against the budget being transferred to a handful of capital! The budget should belong to the worker, the laborer, the poor, not to the palace and the capital. To say #WeCannotMakeEndsMeet! is to stand against this budget order."

The slogan frequently used in the actions, "No salvation alone! Either all together, or none of us!", underscored KESK's call for unity among all labor and popular segments, regardless of union affiliation.

📜 Core Demands: Budget For The People, Democratic Turkey

KESK's fundamental demands raised in Adana and Samsun are not limited to financial improvements but also encompass the country's democratization process:

1. Justice in Income: Guaranteeing a living wage above the poverty line.

2. Tax Justice: Reducing the tax burden on laborers and fixing income tax brackets.

3. Budget for the People: Increasing the share allocated to public services such as education, healthcare, and social services.

4. Democratic Rights: Removing obstacles to trade union rights and freedoms.

KESK stated that these marches and rallies are just a step in the long-term struggle initiated toward the goal of "Budget for the People, Democratic Turkey," and that actions will continue until economic justice is achieved.