Despite a recent Constitutional Court ruling that overturned bans on public gatherings, the Turkish government announced that May Day celebrations will not be permitted in Istanbul’s Taksim Square this year. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the decision on Monday, citing the potential for mass protests and public safety concerns.
“Taksim Square is not among the designated routes for public demonstrations,” stated Yerlikaya, referencing ongoing government measures to control protest locations following significant unrest during the 2013 Gezi Park protests. Since then, the government has systematically restricted large-scale public gatherings in key areas like Taksim, linking them to national security and public order.
Five months ago, the Constitutional Court of Turkey ruled that preventing May Day celebrations at Taksim Square constituted a violation of the constitutional right to organise public meetings and demonstrations, as safeguarded by Article 34 of the Constitution. This decision was influenced by a petition from the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DİSK) and the Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions (KESK). The court’s ruling, obtained by a majority vote, highlighted the symbolic value and collective memory of Taksim Square for workers, referencing the tragic events of 1977.
“Taksim Square is not only a place of solidarity on May Day but also represents the collective memory of labourers. Anyone who sees themselves as part of this culture has the right to be present at Taksim Square on May Day to directly experience and transmit this experience across generations. Thus, restricting access to this space limits the expression of the ideas it represents,” the ruling explained.
However, the Turkish government maintains its ban on May Day celebrations at Taksim Square, a policy that some critics see as inevitable given its current political structure. This overly centralised presidential system has increasingly curtailed the role of parliamentary opposition, evolving into what many describe as a one-man rule. The government has also been successful in criminalising mass protests to such an extent that even the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has consistently distanced itself from encouraging such demonstrations.
However, with the CHP’s recent leadership change from Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to Özgür Özel, there is speculation over whether the CHP will alter its approach to public demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the Kurdish opposition remains committed to using May Day to voice the concerns of workers, the poor, women, youth and minorities. The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party plans to hold demonstrations not only in Istanbul but throughout Kurdish regions, focusing particularly on opposition to the state’s war policies.
For May Day events, the Van (Wan) Organising Committee, led by Dr. Hüseyin Yaviç, has emphasised a commitment to protesting policies of war and exploitation. Dr. Yaviç highlighted the importance of demonstrating resolve in public spaces to counteract these policies. He expressed hope that May Day will be celebrated with great enthusiasm in Kurdistan, particularly in the context of the recent local elections which demonstrated a public will to challenge the current direction of national policies.
