As of: 05/01/2022 4:12 p.m
In Istanbul, the police arrested more than 160 demonstrators. Despite warnings, they took part in an unauthorized protest, it said. According to media reports, there were occasional clashes with the police.
According to official information, the Turkish police arrested 164 demonstrators in Istanbul. Despite warnings, they took part in an unauthorized protest, the Istanbul governor’s office justified the procedure.
According to media reports, there were occasional clashes with the police when demonstrators tried to march to the symbolic Taksim Square in the center of the metropolis. As every year, the authorities had cordoned off access to the square over a wide area.
In Istanbul, there were clashes with the police when demonstrators tried to march to Taksim Square in the center of the metropolis.
Image: REUTERS
Demonstrations in Ankara and Izmir
Meanwhile, on the Asian side of Istanbul, numerous people gathered for May Day celebrations, as can be seen in pictures. There were also demonstrations in the capital Ankara, the coastal metropolis of Izmir and other cities. The dominant topic was the economic crisis and inflation, officially at more than 60 percent.
Since the anti-government Gezi protests in 2013, the Turkish leadership has stopped May Day demonstrations on Taksim Square. The authorities only allowed union officials to lay a wreath there. The 2013 protests were initially directed against the development of Gezi Park in Taksim. They expanded into nationwide demonstrations against the authoritarian policies of then Prime Minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The government brutally suppressed the protests.
Taksim Square holds special significance for May Day celebrations in Turkey. In 1977, on May Day, snipers opened fire on a demonstration with around 500,000 participants. At least 34 people died. To this day it is unclear who the perpetrators were.