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Following the decision on a general strike taken by the union confederations DISK , KESK , Turk-Is , Turkey Kamu-Sen and Memur-Sen after the TEKEL workers' determined struggle, big rallies were realised on February 4 in the cities, and workers of many sectors went on strike. {divide}
In Ankara half of the health sector workers went on strike, only emergency services were open. Around noon, workers from many unions and branches such as Egitim-Sen affiliated to KESK, SES , ESM, Tum-Bel-Sen, BES , Haber-Sen, Tarim-Orkam-Sen, Kultur-Sanat-Sen, BTS, Genel-Is affiliated to DISK and YapiYol-Sen as well as Genc-Sen , ODP , SDP , ESP , different trade bodies and villages' associations of Ankara realised a march to Kizilay SSK Is. The TEKEL workers marched with an own bloc. Tek-Gida-Is General President Mustafa Turkel made a speech saying that hundred thousands and millions will oppose the AKP government that threatened the TEKEL workers resisting for 52 days by giving them time until the end of February and if the resistance isn't finished by then, the workers would be attacked by the police.
In Istanbul, 10,000s of workers met at Edirnekapi, Kadikoy Square and Aksaray Metro Station and marched until Sarachane Park shouting the slogan "Everywhere Ankara, everywhere Tekel". The workers gathering at Kadikoy Square carried the banner read "General strike. general resistance; the victory will be the labourers'"
The workers were also supported by the revolutionary prisoners. The female political prisoners of Gebze M type Prison realised a one day lasting hunger strike to show their solidarity with the TEKEL workers and the other workers in strike. In a written statement of the female prisoners of the parties
DHKP-C, MLKP and TKP/ML, they saluted all workers and labourers that went on strike on February 4.
While the union confederations drew attention on them during the preparations for the general strike and general resistance as they tried to sabotaged the general strike which they were forced to realise due to the TEKEL workers' pressure on them; this had a negative impact to a big extent on the actions on February 4. The confederations Turkey Kamu-Sen and Memur-Sen changed their mind in the last minute and didn't join the strike; and when Turk-Is General Centre didn't come to a solution in the negotiations with the government to give up the decision on the strike, it decided that "all branches of the unions are allowed to determine their own type of action" . By that, the confederation let the workers of different sectors be in a indefinite situation.
On February 6, the confederations met and took the decision to ask for a meeting with the President and Prime Minister Erdogan, who had said on the TEKEL workers' resistance: "What they are doing is nor human neither legal." At the same time 170 TEKEL workers started an unlimited hunger strike on the 54th day of their resistance.
Solidarity with the TEKEL workers in different cities of Turkey and Northern Kurdistan has continued. In Dersim, 2,000 people marched to show solidarity and in Bursa, a solidarity hunger strike was realised.
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