WAN — A group of 223 workers dismissed by a state-appointed trustee (kayyum) said they are now unable to pay their rent after nearly a year of protests, calling for what they described as unlawful practices to end.

 

The workers, backed by the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DİSK) and its General-İş Wan (Van) branch, have resumed protests under the slogan “We will return to our jobs” after a pause. The group, which includes 10 disabled workers, was dismissed on July 29, 2025, by a decision of trustee Ozan Balcı, who had been appointed to the Wan Metropolitan Municipality on February 15, 2025. They began demonstrations on Sanat Street following their dismissal.

 

The workers had suspended their protests on January 6 amid attacks by the Syrian Transitional Government, ISIS, and Turkey-backed paramilitary groups, but resumed them as of March 8. Despite a local court ruling ordering their reinstatement, the trustee has not rehired them.

 

Speaking after returning to the protest site, the workers described the hardships they have faced over the past year.

 

Vefa Yıldız, said they would continue to defend their rights until what she called unlawful practices by the trustee come to an end. He said a trustee had been appointed after what he described as the will of Wan’s residents was overridden, and that they were subsequently dismissed unfairly. Despite winning their case in a local court, they have not been reinstated.

 

“We will not give up the struggle until we win,” said Yıldız and added: “Our resistance will continue until the municipality is handed over to the co-mayors elected by the people.”

 

Sinan Yılmaz, said they were facing serious financial difficulties and could no longer pay their rent. He added that he had withdrawn his daughter from school because he was unable to pay tuition fees. Yılmaz said no concrete steps had been taken so far, forcing some workers to leave the city. “We have families we are responsible for,” he said.

 

Elif Gemicioğlu Yavic said she had been dismissed because she taught at a Kurdish language institution. “We were dismissed because of our Kurdish identity. As both Kurds and workers, we will not submit to this and will continue our resistance,” she said.

 

Cuma Çiftçi said he continues to fight for reinstatement despite health problems. He noted that he had previously lost his municipal job after a trustee was appointed in 2016 in place of then mayor Bekir Kaya from the HDP, leaving him unemployed. He said he was rehired in 2023 by DEM Party mayors Abdullah Zeydan and Neslihan Şedal, only to be dismissed again by the trustee.

 

Çiftçi said: “Our files were reviewed for two months and no issues were found. Now they say there are problems in our files and that they will review them again. These are all excuses. We want to return to our jobs.”