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We are aware of the ongoing protests by Euroserve employees in our factory in Izmir, Turkey and of the articles published by Evrensel Daily. We have investigated the situation and can confirm that these reports are based on inaccurate information and misrepresentation of the facts.

None of the people referenced in the articles are Philip Morris employees. They work for Euroserve...Any request to reinstate Euroserve workers should be directed to Euroserve.

None of the people referenced in the articles were terminated due to union organizing or membership. All the terminations referenced in your letter followed participation in illegal activity. It is important to note that neither PMI nor Euroserve have any knowledge of any employee's union membership. That information is protected by Turkish data-privacy laws.

The protests you reference were neither peaceful nor legal under Turkish law. Despite Euroserve's attempts to engage with protestors, security footage and reports from our security provider show disruption, property damage and intimidation of our employees and contractors. The union, that was present at the protests and which purports to speak on behalf of Euroserve employees (DISK/Gida-Is) is not legally authorized to represent any workers int he Turkish food industry, which includes the tobacco industry.

At our encouragement, our service provider is preparing a plan to address the underlying concerns of their employees working at PMI's factory and has already introduced economic improvements to help its workers through the current challenging economic period.

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