A U.S. company fired almost half of its 890 employees working in İncirlik Air Base, located in southern Turkey's Adana province.
According to a statement from Turkish Harb-İş labor union, the company, Colorado-based Vectrus, has informed them that 424 of their employees' labor contracts were going to be canceled as of Jan. 20, 2020, a move defined by the union as an "injustice."
"Thirty-two of these workers are women, while 392 of them are men. We, as the Turkish Harb-İş union, stated that these firings were not ethical and considering the economic circumstances that we are in, people would be affected by the move negatively," said the Adana provincial head of the union, Erdal Akalın.
He added that this "totally unacceptable situation" signals a "collective wronging against workers."
Calling on the authorities of the company to be more sensitive, Akalın said if the company fails to draw back its move, the "harshest measures" will be taken by the union.
"We also would like to reiterate we have the support of other Turkish unions as well," he expressed.
Reiterating that a new term of collective agreements is near, Akalın said this "reckless" attitude of the U.S. company will affect the running of the agreement and the discussions beforehand will be held in a "harsh" environment.
Akalın also claimed that the move is part of U.S. plans to pull its troops out of Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
Located in Turkey's Adana province just 110 kilometers from the Syrian border, İncirlik Air Base has been a strategic element since its establishment in 1954 as it played major roles during the Cold War, the 1990-1991 Gulf War and the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve targeting Daesh elements in Syria and Iraq.
