May 1st in Turkey: 160 protesters arrested in Istanbul

Police arrested more than 160 protesters in Istanbul. Despite the warnings, he participated in an unauthorized protest, it said. According to media reports, there were occasional clashes with the police.

According to official information, Turkish police have arrested 164 protesters in Istanbul. Despite warnings that he participated in an unauthorized protest, the office of the governor of Istanbul justified the process.

According to media reports, there were occasional clashes with police when protesters tried to march to the symbolic Taksim Square in the city centre. Like every year, the authorities had closed off access to the square over a wide area.

Demonstrations in Ankara and Izmir

Meanwhile, in the Asian part of Istanbul, a large number of people gathered for the May Day celebrations, as can be seen in the pictures. Demonstrations also took place in the capital Ankara, the coastal metropolis of Izmir and other cities. The major themes were the economic crisis and inflation, officially over 60 percent.

Since the anti-government Gizzi protests in 2013 The Turkish leadership will no longer allow May Day demonstrations in Taksim Square. The authorities only allowed union officials to lay wreaths 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 the then prime minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The government ruthlessly suppressed the protest.

Taksim Square holds special significance for May Day celebrations in Turkey. In 1977, on May Day, snipers opened fire on a demonstration with about 500,000 participants. At least 34 people died. To this day it is not clear who the culprits were.