The buyer of British Steel is Ataer Holdings, owned by the Turkish Army Pension Fund Oyak. Labor MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who leads an inter-party group in the Kurdish region of northern Syria, said: “The Turkish military commits war crimes in northeast Syria. It’s wrong that they are enriched by the labor of the steel workers of Scunthorpe. ”
Unions fear publicly voicing concerns about Oyak, fearing disrupting negotiations that could save member jobs. But sources at the union said they were looking behind the scenes for guarantees against Oyak, who also jointly owns the Turkish car factory, where allegedly mistreated workers on strike. Trade union officials wrote a report for local sellers outlining the relationship between Oyak’s leadership and the army, as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Union workers are also seeking guarantees that the site in Scunthorpe will not be used to supply the Turkish military in the future.
