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Public sector unions across Türkiye staged a one-day strike Monday to protest the government’s wage offer for 2026-27, which unions say is inadequate amid soaring living costs.
The action disrupted transportation and public services nationwide.
The government’s first proposal, unveiled on Aug. 12, offered a 10% raise for the first half of 2026 and 6% for the second. For 2027, the offer included two 4% raises. A second proposal on Aug. 15 added a ₺1,000 ($24.45) increase to base salaries, but unions dismissed it as insufficient.
Memur-Sen, the country’s largest public servants’ confederation, said the offer “ignores the reality of inflation.” Confederation chair Ali Yalcin declared, “We see nothing to negotiate. The government directs us to the streets.”
Seven confederations, including KESK, joined the strike, holding rallies in all 81 provinces. In Ankara, demonstrators gathered outside the Treasury and Finance Ministry as well as the Labor and Social Security Ministry.
The protest also affected daily life. The commuter rail system IZBAN, in Izmir, announced that all services were canceled for Aug. 18, citing the nationwide strike.
“Due to the one-day work stoppage organized by public employees across the country, we regret to inform you that all IZBAN services are suspended throughout the day,” the operator said on the social media platform X.
Inflation officially stood at 33.5% in July, though independent researchers estimate it closer to 65%. According to Turk-Is, the poverty line for a family of four in Ankara reached ₺86,036 ($2,103.84) per month in July, with the hunger line at ₺26,413.
Memur-Sen had previously demanded wage hikes of 88% for 2026 and 46% for 2027, warning that without them, public employees will remain “crushed under inflation.”
Amid the unrest, the state postal service, Post and Telegraph Organization (PTT), issued a written directive warning its staff not to join the strike. In a circular signed by General Manager Dr. Hakan Gulten and Deputy General Manager Fatih Tezcan, employees were reminded that “public officials have no legal right to abandon their duties or stop working.”
The notice instructed all staff to remain at their posts on Aug. 18 and warned that disciplinary action would be taken against those who participate in the walkout. Managers were also ordered to closely monitor attendance and report any employees involved in the strike.
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