Erdogan: "May 1 should be a day of joy, not conflict"

Speaking to a meeting of newly-elected Justice and Development Party (AK Party) district mayors from across Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that the new May 1 Labor and Solidarity Day holiday should be celebrated nationwide with friendship and solidarity, not violence or conflict. Saying that the government making May 1 an official holiday was a show of goodwill after unfortunate incidents in Istanbul last May 1, Erdogan also warned against provocations, calling on unions to give up their request to hold celebrations at Istanbul's Taksim Square. The square has great symbolic importance for unions because on May 1, 1977, known as "Bloody May 1," shots were fired into a crowd at Taksim, killing five, and 30 others were trampled to death. Since then, large May 1 celebrations in Taksim have been banned. Istanbul Governor Muharrem Guler recently announced unions would not be allowed to hold mass celebrations at the square.