Civil servants in Turkish army may join labor unions

Turkish civil servants working for the Turkish Ministry of National Defense and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) may establish labor unions or join unions they wish. In a meeting held on Wednesday, the Turkish Constitutional Court decided to annul a provision prohibiting civil servants working at the TSK and Ministry of National Defense from establishing labor unions or joining them. Turkish Constitutional Court's decision came after the Governorate of Ankara did not permit Sime-Sen, a labor union formed by civil servants working for the TSK on October 21, 2011, to hold its first general assembly meeting six months after Sime-Sen was established. Governorate of Ankara had filed litigation against Sime-Sen at Ankara's Labor Court No. 8 in order to end the activities of Sime-Sen. Labor Court No. 8 had stated that the proper court to decide on the case was the Turkish Constitutional Court.