CHP leader calls for May Day celebrations at Taksim Square

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has called for May Day celebrations to return to Istanbul's iconic Taksim Square, challenging a government ban on demonstrations there.

"If you think that going to Taksim Square is against you, it means that you are not actually sovereign," Özel stated during his party's parliamentary meeting on April 24.

His comments come in response to Istanbul Governor Davut Gül's recent announcement that demonstrations will not be allowed in Taksim Square again this year. The focal point for labor demonstrations has been closed to such gatherings for many years.

"I am the guarantor. I will be there... May 1 will be celebrated with workers, and that square will be emptied again," Özel said, urging authorities to "show that you are self-confident" by allowing the celebrations to take place in Taksim Square.

Özel also referenced a recent decision by the Constitutional Court, which deemed the continued closure of the square for May Day celebrations a violation of rights.

The CHP leader criticized the government's failure to comply with the court's ruling, calling it "nothing but a complex and anxiety."

The top court emphasized the square's significance as a "common memory and symbolic value" for workers, citing the tragic events of the 1977 massacre. The attack during May Day celebrations left dozens dead and hundreds injured.

In his address, Özel promised cooperation between CHP and the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Türkiye (DİSK) officials, as well as law enforcement, to maintain order and minimize tension during the celebrations.