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To our comrades in GENC-SEN,

This afternoon I learned of the terrible attacks taking place on student unionism and students' right to freedom of association in Turkey and wanted to right to you straight away to offer the support and solidarity of the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom, which represents more than 7 million students across the UK.

I have written a letter to your government and the governor of Istanbul and will fax these over immediately. A copy is attached for your information. I will also raise this issue with the British government in the hope that they raise this serious human rights violation with your government.

May I wish you the best of luck as you face this challenge. Rest assured that I will be making other national unions across Europe aware of this situation and raising the matter with the European Students' Union.

In solidarity,

Wes Streeting

NUS President

Hukumete ve valilige cekilen fax..

Wednesday 9th July

To Whom It May Concern:

Freedom of Association for Students and Student Unionism in Turkey

I write to you on behalf of the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom, representing more than 7 million students across the UK, to express our outrage at the serious attacks on student rights posed by the legal action threatening GENC-SEN, the union for students and youth established in December 2007. We believe this represents a fundamental assault on the right to freedom of association, guaranteed to all citizens across the globe by the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Such actions can only serve to undermine Turkey’s international standing and undermine the case for Turkey’s accession to the European Union, which we would otherwise support.

I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to abandon this attack on student unionism, which enjoys freedom and recognition in countless countries across the world.

I will be making representations to my own government concerning this serious human rights violation and shall also be raising this with my counterparts at the European Students’ Unions and with national unions of students across the European continent.

Yours faithfully,

Wes Streeting

National President