Turkish Metalworkers Rally in Taksim: 'The Working Class Stands With Palestine!'

ISTANBUL/TAKSIM – The Birleşik Metal-İş Union (United Metal Workers), a member of the DİSK Confederation, staged a massive demonstration in Taksim, Istanbul, to express solidarity with the Palestinian people on the second anniversary of the current conflict. The demonstration, which included hundreds of union members and leaders, strongly demanded a complete cessation of all commercial ties with the Zionist state of Israel.

Union Leaders Join March to Dolmabahçe

The march, which began in Taksim on October 5, 2025, and proceeded toward Dolmabahçe, saw robust participation from the union's leadership, including Birleşik Metal-İş President Özkan Atar and General Organizing Secretary Fehmi Elmacı. They were joined by managers and hundreds of members from the Gebze 1 and 2, Istanbul 1, and Thrace branches, underscoring the strong commitment of the Turkish working class to the Palestinian cause. The march was also supported by the DİSK Istanbul Regional Representation and affiliated sister unions.

The protesters made their political stance clear through powerful and resonant slogans chanted throughout the streets:

• "The working class stands with Palestine!"

• "Palestine is not alone!"

• "Trade with Israel is a betrayal of Palestine!"

• "The Sumud Flotilla is our honor!"

• "From the River to the Sea, Free Palestine!"

• "Murderer Israel/USA Out of the Middle East!"

Demand for Total Commercial Embargo

The core message emphasized by the Birleşik Metal-İş leadership centered on the necessity of imposing a total commercial embargo on Israel. The union argued that maintaining any trade relationships amounts to a direct betrayal of the Palestinian struggle against what they term a genocide.

In their concluding statement, the union pledged unwavering support: "Our solidarity will continue until this genocide ends and the Palestinian people achieve their freedom!"

This powerful display of solidarity highlights the anti-imperialist stance and global political awareness of the unions under the DİSK umbrella, making a clear connection between labor rights and international human rights.