Education Union Leader Condemns ‘100 Years of Anesthesia’ Remark, Cites Atatürk

The head of Turkey’s Eğitim-İş education union, Kadem Özbay, publicly rebuked a statement made by Ali Yalçın, the leader of the Memur-Sen confederation of public sector unions, regarding what Yalçın termed “100 years of narcosis” affecting Anatolia. Özbay’s response, delivered at a dinner hosted by the Ankara 3 No. Branch of his union on March 28, 2026, asserted that his organization would continue to impart lessons on the principles of the Turkish Republic.

According to a report from Cumhuriyet newspaper, Özbay directly addressed Yalçın’s claim, stating, “You said ‘100 years of narcosis,’ but this organized force will continue to deliver the lesson of the Republic.” He characterized the period not as one of stagnation, but as a “awakening” embodied by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the founding of the Republic. Özbay further suggested that Yalçın’s discomfort stemmed from this historical awakening, which he described as prioritizing reason and freedom over subservience and obedience.

“We receive our directives not from the Palace, but from our head teacher, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,” Özbay declared, vowing to continue raising generations committed to the preservation of the Republic.

The exchange occurs amidst ongoing negotiations concerning the rights of public sector workers. Memur-Sen, led by Yalçın, recently convened a rally outside the Ministry of Labor and Social Security on August 26, 2025, calling for a fair decision from the Public Officials Arbitral Board regarding the 2026-2027 collective bargaining agreement. Yalçın, at that time, urged the board to make a decision based on “justice, not directives,” according to reporting by Birgün newspaper.

Memur-Sen represents approximately 6.5 million public employees and retirees. Ali Yalçın also recently addressed the 7th Ordinary General Assembly of the Social Security Institution (SGK), though the content of that speech has not been publicly detailed beyond its occurrence.