Teachers Forced into Ruling Party Membership Without Their Knowledge

A Turkish teachers' union alleges that public sector employees are being illegally and secretly registered as members of the ruling AK Party. The accusation was made by Mehmet Aydoğdu, head of the Ankara branch of the Eğitim Sen union. He stated that public workers are being made victims of an unlawful process. Aydoğdu further claimed these employees are now also facing punishment. He said the situation shows how arbitrary the current system has become. The union did not immediately specify how many teachers may be affected. There has been no official response from the government or the AK Party to these allegations.