The decision to close hairdressers in Sultanbeyli on Sundays was discussed.

At the meeting held in Sultanbeyli, the decision for women’s and men’s hairdressers and beauty salons to be closed on Sundays was discussed. Over 100 women’s hairdressers and beauty centers are located in Sultanbeyli, and a meeting was organized by the Sultanbeyli United Craftsmen and Artisans Association (SUBESO) regarding the issue. The meeting was attended by the owners of women’s hairdressers and beauty center businesses operating in the district, as well as the municipal police teams of Sultanbeyli Municipality. At the meeting where the decision to close on Sundays was discussed, business owners also expressed their opinions and problems. Business owner Deniz Efil stated, ‘When we first came to Sultanbeyli, it was very small, now it has developed. I have 3 businesses and employ nearly 35 staff. Closing on Sundays is not suitable for us. Let’s say we close on Sundays, it will cause great difficulties for the customers. We definitely do not want to be closed on Sundays. We already have an established system on Tuesdays. Let Tuesdays be closed, but Sundays should definitely not be closed. All our hairdresser friends are against closing on Sundays. We have rents, staff, and taxes. After not working on Saturdays and Sundays, there is no point in us being hairdressers,’ he said. ‘Our request is for this matter to be postponed for another year.’ Sultanbeyli United Craftsmen and Artisans Association President Türkay Demir said, ‘Throughout Turkey, women’s hairdressers, men’s hairdressers, and beauty salons should be closed one day a week. A decision was made about this, and it was implemented as of this year. Chaos emerged. Instead of discussing the problems that need to be addressed, the implementation came top-down. But during this period, the relevant parties, especially the specialized chambers and our federation, did not offer any solution proposal to us. We just had a meeting with the female hairdressers serving in our district. There was a strong voice saying ‘Why are Sundays being closed. We cannot switch to Sundays’. While there are many problems at hand, let’s close on Sundays, but how accustomed are the customers who are affected by this closure? For years, in many districts of Istanbul, there has been a practice of closing on Tuesdays. It is not possible for the transition period of this practice to suddenly happen like this. How will we allow individuals? Maybe we will not have difficulty as a district during this transition period, but I wonder how a chamber in Istanbul will manage 39 districts. Will beauty salons and female hairdressers in shopping malls be closed? As we hear and see from social media, they say ‘We will not close, we will mind our own business’. I think this transition process should have been discussed earlier, the problems should have been resolved today, and then implemented in that way. Putting it out there like this again without producing any solutions creates a big problem for the market,’ he stated. Demir continued, ‘The decision to close on Sundays puts our trade chambers, district municipalities, and most importantly our tradespeople in a difficult situation. People want to rest one day a week, but if it has to be on Sundays, let it be on Sundays, but not like this. Because there are wedding halls that are not closed, where will the tradespeople serve all these brides? Will services be provided in hidden corners or in wedding hall corners? We do not have the solution to these shortcomings. I urge the parties involved, especially the Barbers and Hairdressers Federation, our specialized chambers in Istanbul and major cities to please resolve these issues. Our request is for this matter to be postponed for another year, especially for female hairdressers.’