Kemal Sülker Papers

Period  1919-1993
Total size   12.13 m.
Consultation Not restricted

Biography

Born in Antakya, Turkey 1919, died in 1995; studied law and philosophy at the University of Istanbul, but was expelled because of a political article before graduation; trade unionist, journalist and literary writer; wrote for Tan, Gece Postas , Yeni Ortam, Vatan and Türkiye Birlik; published a newspaper called Işçi Hakki (Worker's Right) in 1951; cofounder of several trade unions including, the Türkiye Işçi Sendikalari Konfederasyonu (Türk-Iş, Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions) in 1952; worked as a consultant to trade unions; joined the Türkiye Işçi Partisi (TIP, Turkish Labour Party) in 1961, became its general secretary and member of the Executive Board; one of the founders of Devrimci Işçi Sendikalari Konfederasyonu (DISK, Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions) in 1967 and its general secretary until 1975; arrested several times for his activities; in the 1970s one of the organizers of the Authors' Union; author of several books on the history of Turkish trade unions and of a biography of the poet Nazim Hikmet.

Content

Letters received by Sülker 1940, 1944-1989; readers' letters 1945-1982 and files compiled for his work as a journalist, on labour questions, welfare and other subjects 1940-1969; manuscripts 1947-1984; notes and documentation relating to his study on Nazim Hikmet 1929-1993; documents relating to the study of other authors and trade union members 1935-1976; documents relating Türk-Iş: correspondence, documents on congresses and some other documents 1940-1976; documents relating to trade unions affiliated to Türk-Iş and to the Istanbul Işçi Sendikalari Birliği and independent unions 1940, 1947-1978; documents relating to DISK: minutes of the Executive Committee 1967-1973; statutes; documents relating to the board 1967-1980, to congresses 1967-1980 and to affiliated unions, including Basin-Iş, Lastik-Iş, and Maden-Iş 1949-1980; other documents 1961-1988; documents relating to TIP: documents and notes on meetings of the Executive Committee and of the board 1962-1971; documents on biannual congresses 1964-1970; circulars of the Executive Committee 1962-1971; statutes and program; documents on organization, branches, publicity and other activities 1961-1976; documents relating to some other organizations 1945-1978; press clippings and copies of articles by Sülker and other authors 1965-1988; press clippings and printed material on trade unions, TIP, Nazim Hikmet and other subjects 1946-1982.

Processing information

Inventory made by Mehmet Bilgen in 1996