Labor Day

Labor Day

Turkey on Sunday marked May 1, Labor Day, with mostly peaceful demonstrations attended by the country's major labor unions and political parties.



The heart of the May 1 celebrations took place in İstanbul's busiest square, Taksim, which, until last year, was off limits to May 1 demonstrators since 1977, when dozens were killed in May 1 celebrations there as unknown assailants opened gunfire on the crowds. Corteges of unions, civil society organizations and workers' groups marched to Taksim yesterday. One of the biggest groups consisted of the representatives of the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DİSK), whose former president, Süleyman Çelebi, is running as a Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate in İstanbul's third electoral district. Former President Çelebi and other confederation administrators led the cortege. Speaking to the press before the group began to march, Çelebi said Turkey had the second highest unemployment rate in Europe, noting that Turkey's poverty rate was higher than most countries.

“We are the country with the third worst income distribution in the world. In our country today, there are still shifts of up to 12 or 13 hours. What caused the emergence of May 1 was the struggle for an eight-hour workday.”

In an exciting development for the unions, a poster depicting a worker in shackles breaking free of his chains, which was last put up in Taksim in 1977, was hung again on the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) building. Three small cranes were deployed to put up the poster, which measures 33 by 15 meters in size. Organizers said it took the makers of the poster 18 days to complete, and about 500 square-meters of cloth and 380 kilos of paint were used in its making.

Representatives of unions, including President of the Turkish Confederation of Labor Unions (Türk-İş) Mustafa Kumlu, President of the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (Hak-İş) Mahmut Arslan, head of the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK) Döndü Taka Çınar and DİSK Secretary-General Tayfun Görgün, stood in front of the Taksim Republic Monument and laid out a wreath of carnations that read 1 Mayıs (May 1) in white on a red background to commemorate the victims of the May 1, 1977 massacre in Taksim. Kumlu made a speech there, remembering those killed in the shooting.

“We owe something to those lives we lost and that is finding out those who caused the painful events of 1977 and bringing them to justice. This is a debt that has been a dark stain on Turkish democracy for the past 34 years. Without repaying this debt, Turkey will not be at peace with its conscience and our democracy will remain tarnished.” The KESK and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) corteges gathered in the district of Şişli. İstanbul independent deputies Süreyya Önder and Sebahat Tuncel, endorsed by the BDP, were also in the group. Hak-İş workers met at Mete Street and walked to Taksim together, accompanied by the Ottoman Janissary band. Union groups walked to the square from every direction. İstanbul Police Chief Hüseyin Çapkın was also there to check the security measures taken on site.

Hundreds of thousands of people were at the square, while, this year a song in Kurdish was also played in the area. There were May 1 slogans and clenched fists in the air but the atmosphere was peaceful and friendly, with workers dancing the halay (a local folk dance), singing and simply having a good time under the spring sun.

CHP İstanbul deputies Mehmet Sevigen and Bayram Meral and Şişli Mayor Mustafa Sarıgül as well as AK Party İstanbul deputy Feyzullah Kıyıklık were among the politicians who joined May 1 celebrations. Established just a few months ago, the Union of Actors and Theater Workers also actively participated in the demonstrations. Well-known actors including Mehmet Ali Alabora, Şebnem Sönmez and Fırat Danış were among the colorful group, where a comic performer entertained the marchers.
Sharp-shooters on rooftops

A total of 38,000 police officers were on duty on Sunday to ensure security during May 1 celebrations, as 1,200 officers were deployed from nearby cities, such as Kocaeli, Sakarya and Balıkesir. Sharpshooters were positioned on the roofs of some buildings in the area. A police helicopter patrolled the demonstration area from the air.

In Ankara, the unions met in front of the central railway station. Tens of thousands representing DİSK, KESK, Türk-İş, Hak-İş, the Union of Turkish Pharmacists (TEB), the Turkish Union of Engineers and Architects’ Chambers (TMMOB) and the Civil Servants’ Trade Union (Memur-Sen) met in front of the station, chanting slogans in demand of more jobs and better employment opportunities. About 3,500 police officers were on duty in Ankara.