Four of Turkey’s largest labour and professional organisations announced on Friday that they will mark International Workers’ Day in İstanbul’s Kadıköy Square, calling for social justice, economic equality, and democratic rights amid what they described as intensifying repression and economic crisis.
The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), the Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK), the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), and the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) jointly declared their plans at a press conference in Istanbul, vowing to unite workers across the country under the slogan: “We Will Win.”
Reading the joint May Day declaration, DİSK Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu said:
“The truth declared on the May Day stage in 1977 remains unchanged in 2025. Even in years when our paths were violently blocked, we held on to that truth. And we will not let go.”
The statement painted a grim picture of working conditions and democratic backsliding in Turkey, condemning government policies that unions claim have favoured wealth inequality, eroded labour protections, and intensified authoritarian control.
“We are not condemned to poverty, unemployment and hopelessness,” the declaration stated. “We are those who produce all the beauty and value in this country—workers, public servants, engineers, doctors, pensioners and women resisting exploitation and gender-based violence.”
The joint declaration criticised growing income inequality and the government’s favouritism toward pro-government companies. It also denounced what it called an expanding “one-man regime”, citing restrictions on union rights, political arrests, and emergency decrees used to silence dissent.
“Peace, justice and democracy will prevail only if the country is not turned into an open-air prison for everyone but a privileged few,” the statement said.
While Taksim Square remains symbolically important for many trade unionists due to the 1977 May Day massacre, in which 34 people were killed, Turkish authorities have largely banned large-scale gatherings there in recent years, citing security concerns. Kadıköy, located on Istanbul’s Asian side, has become an alternative rallying point for labour groups.
The unions called on millions of workers to gather across the country on 1 May under their shared slogan and to resist policies they say commodify labour, repress women and marginalised communities, and deepen economic precarity.
The statement ended with a rallying cry:
“When we win, democracy will win, justice will win, peace will win, equality will win, and the people will win!”
The upcoming May Day mobilisation comes amid high inflation, stagnant wages, and growing criticism of Turkey’s economic management. It also arrives against a backdrop of increasing pressure on civil society, opposition politicians, and independent media.
Organisers said they expect tens of thousands to attend the May Day celebrations in Kadıköy and across Turkey, asserting that unity, organisation and struggle are the only means to reverse the tide.
