More than 10,000 TEKEL workers who have been resisting for 34 days and realised a sit-in in Ankara for the last three days gathered on January 17 at the "Democracy and Rights for bread, peace and freedom" rally in Ankara joined by more than 100,000s of workers in total. The workers who went to Ankara from all over the country with their families with 500 buses occupied the podium when Turk-Is didn't announce the decision on a general strike what was expected by the workers. Later on, the workers occupied the general centre of the union in Ankara. {divide}
The TEKEL workers' rally was supported by the fire fighters and the workers of Sabiha Gokcen Airport who are on strike as well as by workers of different sectors such as shipyard, mining, textile and by labourer officials. Besides KESK and DISK and some unions, revolutionary and democratic organisations, among them EHP , ODP , Halkevleri and ESP Initiative joined the rally, too. The TEKEL workers also received a message of solidarity by the workers of Venezuela.
The workers marched to Sihhiye Square shouting many different slogans such as "It is coming, it is coming, the general strike is coming", "Everywhere TEKEL, everywhere resistance" and "Turk-Is, set to work, go to general strike". TEKEL workers carried grave clothes on which it said "We could die, but we won't give up"
A female worker talking in the name of all TEKEL workers said that they haven't given up their resistance despite the police attacks with truncheons and pepper gas and despite the cold weather and that they won't give up. A fire fighter who spoke in the name of the fire fighters in Istanbul who have been on resistance, too, said: "With the power we got from the class solidarity and the union of the labourers, we will continue with our struggle until we achieve our rights."
During the speech of Turk-Is general president Mustafa Kumlu, the workers were continuously shouting the slogan "General strike, general resistance". Kumlu saluted the workers' resistance and asked the government to realise different demands of the workers. However, when he didn't announce the decision on a general strike expected by the workers, the workers occupied the podium. The workers called on Kumlu to come to the podium again and to announce the general strike. Kumlu didn't come and the workers declared that Turk-Is cheated on them. TEKEL workers declared also that they will start a death fast and shouted slogans calling on the leadership of Turk-Is to resign. Later on, TEKEL workers also occupied the general centre of the union in Ankara.