İSTANBUL - KESK, DİSK, TMMOB and TTB have announced that May Day will be celebrated at Maltepe rally square after the rejection of their application to celebrate the May Day at Taksim square by Istanbul Governorate.

 

The Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (KESK), the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK), the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) held a joint press conference about the celebration of May Day this year at DİSK Headquarters. DİSK Chairperson Kani Beko, KESK Co-chairs Mehmet Bozgeyik and Aysun Gezen, TTB Central Council Chairperson Raşit Tükel and TMMOB Chairperson Emin Koramaz attended the press conference.

 

Peoples’ Demcoratic Party (HDP) Istanbul provincial Co-chair Esengül Demir, Socialist Party of Refoundation Chairperson Ahmet Kaya, Halkevleri (People’s House) Co-chair Nuri Günay, Party of Labour (EMEP) Istanbul provincial Chairperson Güven Gerçek, the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Istanbul provincial Co-spokesperson Atilla Özdoğan and the representatives of many unions, political parties attended the press conference for support.

 

‘Our request for Taksim will never end’

 

DİSK Chairperson Kani Beko read the joint statement and said, “We always state that we take sides by social peace, not by social war. Our request for celebrating May Day at Taksim square didn’t end and it will never end. Like every year, we conveyed our request to the Interior Ministry and relevant authorities to speak out our long for freedom, peace, and democracy on the streets, particularly at Taksim Square on May 1. However, we received a negative response to our application to celebrate May Day at Taksim Square.

 

 

 

“We will celebrate May Day at Istanbul’s Maltepe Square this year. We will organize for this day with our friends from four parts of Turkey for May Day. We call on everyone to join us on May 1.”