Police on Monday cracked down on coal miners who are on a hunger strike in Ankara, using tear gas and detaining union leaders as workers attempted to march to the energy ministry to demand unpaid wages, according to Turkish media reports.
The miners, employed by Doruk Mining, have been protesting for more than two weeks and are now on the eighth day of a hunger strike. They set out from Kurtuluş Park to march to the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry but were blocked by police, who surrounded the group and prevented the demonstration.
Witnesses and local media reports said police intervened with pepper spray as tensions escalated, triggering scuffles between officers and protesters.
Independent Mine Workers Union president Gökay Çakır and union organizing expert Başaran Aksu were detained during the crackdown.
Opposition lawmaker Erkan Baş, head of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), was also affected by the police intervention, with officers spraying tear gas in his face during the incident, leading to a brief confrontation.
The miners, who marched roughly 200 kilometers from Eskişehir to Ankara, are demanding the payment of outstanding wages, severance pay and improved working conditions. Their protest has drawn support from union members, lawmakers and members of the public.
Aksu said the workers, many of whom have gone days without proper food or basic supplies, face serious health risks.
“The miners have been on hunger strike for eight days. This is life-threatening,” he said, adding that they were determined to continue their march to the ministry.
Last week, more than 100 miners were detained outside the ministry after staging a sit-in upon arriving in Ankara, according to their union.
The workers say their employer has failed to pay wages and benefits, leaving many in financial hardship. In recent statements the union said payments made so far covered only a fraction of what is owed.
The mine in Eskişehir currently operated by Doruk Mining was previously run by another company that was transferred to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) in 2016 as part of a government crackdown on the faith-based Gülen movement.
The site was later sold in a 2022 tender to Yıldızlar Holding. The holding has expanded significantly through privatization tenders in recent years, and its founder and chairman, Sebahattin Yıldız, served three terms as a lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Despite the police intervention, the miners continued their protest in the park with a sit-in, vowing to remain until their demands are met.