17.08.2026 14:41
Mine workers have been protesting in Ankara for days to demand payment of their legal receivables. Talih Kocabıyık, Head of the Türkiye Maden-İş Central Anatolia Branch, stating that the ministry is closely monitoring the issue, said, "We have presented our proposals to our ministry regarding the solution point of this matter. They are also closely following it. The employer also reported last week. We are patiently waiting for this week. If it is not paid this week, we will continue our protests forcefully."
Mine workers have been staging protests in Ankara for days to demand payment of their legal receivables. The protest by workers who are members of the Türkiye Maden-İş Union, working at Doruk Mining, a company of Yıldızlar SSS Holding, continues as they demand the payment of their receivables.
Workers protesting in front of the Miner's Monument in Ankara held a sit-in, carrying banners reading "Ineffective, unauthorized Ali Vahit", "Right, law, justice", "We want our right, not charity", "Dear President, hear our voice".
CONTINUING FOR 22 DAYS
Speaking here, Talih Kocabıyık, President of the Türkiye Maden-İş Central Anatolia Branch, said:
"For 22 days, the struggle for rights has been continuing at various points in Ankara. It seems this struggle will continue. As all the public knows, last week, the workplace owner Sebahattin Yıldız stated that payments would begin on Thursday and Friday, and that by next week, that is, this week, workers affiliated with Yıldızlar Holding would have no receivables left. We also informed them: We declared that we will not leave Ankara until we receive all our rights and our legal rights are paid.
What are these rights? He paid severance pay with the old termination date. There is an error here. Secondly, as our Ministry of Labor stated, the unpaid leave periods must be paid. Annual leave must be paid. Notice, execution, and individual pension deductions must be paid. As long as these are not paid, we will not leave Ankara. Hopefully, they will sort this out in a short time. Otherwise, it is truly an oppression for everyone. Oppression for him, oppression for our friends seeking rights here, oppression for their families. Even if there are detentions every day, that is not a solution either."
"THERE IS A DEATH TO DEAL WITH"
Stating that the issue should be resolved at the table, Kocabıyık said, "Detention is not a solution. There is a death to deal with, friends. We need to handle this together. And thanks to whom will this happen? It will happen by us, as the ministers of our state, the relevant company, and the authorized union, sitting at the table and finding a solution to these problems as soon as possible. Otherwise, the people of Ankara will truly get tired. The workers here will not get tired, let me say that too. If they think we will give up, we definitely will not give up" he said.
"OUR ONLY CONCERN: LET EVERYONE GET THEIR RIGHT"
Talih Kocabıyık, stating that protests have been ongoing for about 4 months within Yıldızlar SSS Holding, noted the following:
"There is a previous history, but for four months, the Ankara Police Department has been mobilized with all its forces. I ask from here: Dear Governor, for four months, you have always ensured the safety of these friends as the police. A huge amount of money has been spent on the expenses incurred here. Don't you ever ask about this? Call the workers' representative. Demand these costs from him. Be sure of this: Half of the money he would pay has already been spent here as expenses, friends. We have no intention of ever confronting the police. It has not happened, and it cannot happen. Our only concern is: Let everyone get their right. Then let them work however they want, with whoever they want. We have submitted our proposals to our ministry regarding the solution point of this issue. The decision is theirs. They are also closely following it. The boss also reported last week. We are patiently waiting for this week, friends. If it is not paid this week, I will continue my protests vigorously.
There are those among the 70 people whose current compensation has been calculated. There are also those whose payments were made based on the old date. He did not calculate based on the current amount. No payment has been made for the remaining 500 people either. We expect payment for them within this week as well. Because he declared 'No one has any receivables left'. We are not asking for charity from the company. We are not asking for more than our right from the company. Friends, we are asking for exactly what we have earned, penny for penny."
"WE ARE DEMANDING OUR LEGAL RECEIVABLES"
Stating that they will follow the issue to the end, Kocabıyık said, "They made incorrect and incomplete statements there. We conveyed those incomplete statements to them. We reported them to the company's authorized managers and the boss. He accepts five of the items we listed and says 'I will not accept one of them'. There was a response like 'We will end up in court'. That is regarding unpaid leave. That does not bind us. In line with the decision of the Inspection Board of our esteemed Ministry, we are demanding our legal receivables. We are not demanding any extra money" he stated.
"KEEP YOUR WORD THIS TIME"
Addressing the holding owner, officials, and the public, Kocabıyık said the following:
"Unless we, as the authorized union, sit at the table with the company and solve this issue, there is no end to this. Other friends get detained, and so will we. Beating the drum here every day does not solve the problem. This problem will be solved at the table. We invite the officials and our elders to the table as soon as possible. As he did before, our esteemed President made a statement. On May 1st, he said 'the workers' receivables are cleared'. He was given incomplete information. Later, three ministers became guarantors. Unfortunately, he put them in a bad position. Dear boss, workplace owner; you let these friends down twice. You have let these friends down for years. Keep your word this time. Let everyone return home happy and peaceful."