Turkish unions, parties against Erdogan anti-Syria policies

Several unions and syndicates in Turkey have held protests against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s anti-Syria policies

On Saturday, the Revolutionary Federation of Trade Unions, the Private Sector Employees, the Architects Chambers Federation, the Doctors Syndicates Federation as well as a number of other social, cultural, and political parties and organizations staged protests in cities across Turkey.

Protesters, accusing the Turkish premier of being an agent of the United States, demanded an end to his meddlesome involvement in Syria.

Secretary General of the Trade Unions Federation Ismail Hakki Tombul also accused Turkey of caving under US pressure and turning into a military base for regional wars.

Tombul further said that the policies being practiced by the Turkish government incite sectarianism and hatred within Turkey itself, while also burdening the Turkish people with rising taxes and costs of living.

Tensions have been running high between Damascus and Ankara, with Syria accusing Turkey along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar of backing a deadly insurgency that has claimed the lives of many Syrians, including security and army personnel.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011.

Western states have been calling for the Arab country’s President Bashar al-Assad to step down. However, Russia and China are strongly opposed to the Western drive to oust the president.