Turkey: Over 52,000 Police Deployed for May Day Protests – 384 Arrests

Turkish police carried out hundreds of arrests of protesters as part of the strict measures taken to prevent marches and demonstrations in the iconic Taksim Square in Istanbul. A total of 52,656 police officers were mobilized from the region, while some opposition media and organizations now estimate the number to be as high as 400, including nine lawyers. The arrests mainly occurred in the areas of Meşrutiyet Meydanı, Şişli, and Beşiktaş in Turkey. Historically, Taksim Square remains a symbol of May Day gatherings in Turkish public memory, as in 1977 over 34 protesters were killed there, according to some sources, with numbers reaching up to 42. All roads in central Istanbul on the European side were closed early in the morning. Some roads began reopening at noon; however, most roads leading to Taksim Square remained closed until late evening across much of central Istanbul, along with metro stations. On the Asian side, Kadıköy was closed where the main gathering of left-wing unions DISK (workers) and KESK (public employees), leftist organizations, and parties took place. Meanwhile, pro-government unions held a rally in Kartal under Turk-Is. The governor of Istanbul, Davut Gül, stated that protests were permitted in the neighborhoods of Kadıköy and Kartal on the Asian shore. CHP leader Özgür Özyılmaz criticized the government’s authoritarianism during these gatherings, stating that if public squares like Taksim are restricted, it indicates autocracy.