(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Istanbul's police chief has claimed that 136 people have been detained so far during a major security operation underway in Turkey's largest city amid May 1 Labor Day demonstrations. Rallies and demonstrations are also taking place in capital Ankara and other major locations across Turkey.
Selami Altinok was speaking Friday afternoon in central Istanbul as thousands of extra officers - many from outside the city - were on the streets as trade unions and left-wing groups attempted to march to the iconic Taksim Square.
However, as in recent years, Taksim - a major interchange on Istanbul's European side and of symbolic importance for unions and leftists - has been ruled out-of-bounds by the Turkish authorities.
Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that such attempted rallies on May 1 meant "paralyzing" Istanbul.
Arrests
Normally busy streets in some central areas of Istanbul were deserted from early this morning as security forces awaited planned protests.
A police helicopter circled over the Taksim district, as the square itself was sealed off by lines of crash barriers erected Thursday evening.
Many businesses have temporarily closed.
Although many protesters were reported to be singing and dancing in the streets, trouble flared as the day wore on.
Police reported a small number of detentions early Friday morning. Five people were held in the Okmeydani district, near Taksim, after officers claimed to have discovered gas masks and marbles.
Istanbul Police Department released a statement claiming that officers seized 101 Molotov cocktails plus chemicals, cartridges and organizational documents during investigations across six districts of the city late on Thursday.
However, an Istanbul lawyers' association said early on Friday that at least 80 demonstrators had been held. Associations united under the umbrella of the "May 1 Crisis Desk," later claimed the number of people detained could be as high as 270.
"Most of them were detained in Okmeydani, Besiktas, Zincirlikuyu and Sisli," the group said in a statement.
Riot police also dispersed a small group of demonstrators in Sisli using tear gas and water cannon on side streets, Anadolu Agency video footage shows.
Officers in Kurtulus, a neighborhood of Sisli district, also said they had seized a firearm.
After noon, a small group of Turkish Communist Party activists entered Taksim Square - which is blocked off by barriers - before being pushed back by police.
Images on Twitter later claimed to show Turkish police on rooftops, searching for protesters.
Police in Besiktas intervened after 2 p.m. local time, although members of the DISK trade union said they had agreed to break up voluntarily after being denied access to Taksim.
Protesters claim that during the police intervention Aykut Erdogdu, an Istanbul member of parliament for the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, was injured in his right hand.
Necdet Okcan, head of legal office at the DISK trade union, told AA that at least five people had been hurt in the disturbances.
Local media also reported that a man had been stabbed in a fracas after the police action, but details remained unconfirmed.
Kadikoy district on Istanbul's Asian side also saw some minor incidents between the security forces and members of a Turkish union, Egitim-sen, when police stopped a bus carrying activists to the city's European side.
Directing people to attend legal rally areas like Yeni Sali Pazari and Yenikapi, police dispersed the crowd.
However, trade unionists reacted against the intervention.
"Taksim is an icon for Labor Day in Turkey. I cannot dream of a May Day without Taksim Square" said Serif M., a 54-year-old retired teacher from Maltepe.
"I am calling on both sides; there is no need to provoke. We just want to enjoy today without any trouble," he added.
"Kerim", a 32-year-old engineer attempting to reach Taksim, told The Anadolu Agency: "According to me, May Day is not just a feast to celebrate, it is actually a day to mourn the killings of innocent people. They should respect our mourning."
In 1977, dozens of people were killed when unknown gunmen opened fire on a Labor Day crowd, causing a stampede in the square.May Day protests have previously been the catalyst for major street disorder in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey.
Unions gather
Many members of the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey, or DISK, the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK), the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and the Turkish Medical Association (TBB) had been in the Besiktas district on Istanbul's European side.
Talks with police about holding a reduced rally in Taksim were ongoing before officers later moved in.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Kani Beko, DISK president, claimed that the freedom of Taksim Square was "a must for a free Turkey."
"We insist that Turkey will not be a democratic country unless Taksim is opened to workers' demonstrations to commemorate the murdered people in 1977," Beko said.
Taksim Square remained closed to Labor Day demonstrations between 1977 and 2010. Since 2013, union activists have again been barred from marching to the public square.
Unions have said that a ban on gathering at the iconic site contravenes both the Turkish constitution and European human rights legislation on freedom of assembly.
However, President Erdogan, addressing workers at the Presidential Palace in Ankara on Friday, said: "I want to express that I find it wrong and even malicious this insistence on Taksim Square every year in May 1."
Erdogan added: "Rallying in Taksim means simply paralyzing Istanbul for a whole day."
Symbolic memorial
However, Turkish Premier Ahmet Davutoglu has said Taksim Square is open for symbolic memorials.
In one such small-scale event, a major labor body - the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions - laid a wreath at Taksim Square's Republic Memorial and flowers on Kazanci Street on Friday morning.
After the memorial, Faruk Buyukkucak, the union's top official in Istanbul, said they felt "bittersweet joy" over May Day celebrations, adding that he called on officials to let demonstrators to celebrate at the square.
Members of the union marched to the site after obtaining necessary permission from the Istanbul Governorship and police, Buyukkucak told reporters.
Istanbul Governorship said Wednesday that the site would be off-limit to mass demonstrations. City Governor Vasip Sahin urged demonstrators to use "common sense."
"I celebrate all peoples', particularly the workers' Labor and Solidarity Day, hoping common sense, peace and brotherhood will dominate today" Sahin said Friday.
Police leaves cancelled, public transport affected
At least 10,000 police have been on duty in Istanbul while 7,000 others were in Ankara as a part of security measures. Police leave in Istanbul has been cancelled.
Additional police forces have been re-located to major cities, including Ankara and Istanbul.
Local newspapers reported that more than 60 water cannon were on Istanbul's streets to break up violent protests.
Istanbul Governorship decided to close major streets leading to Taksim Square, which is out-of-bounds to car traffic.
Metro and tramway lines were closed and ferry links were affected.
Some labor unions moved their celebrations out of Istanbul to prevent possible violent scenes.The TURK-IS union said it was going to celebrate May Day in Zonguldak, Turkey's northern province, instead of Istanbul's Kadikoy district where their event took place in 2014.
Memur-sen union said its May Day rally would be in Konya, Turkey's central province, while the Kamu-sen union said they would be in Adana, a southern province.
Ankara
May Day events in Ankara began at the historical train station in the city center, with a large group of people from various trade unions and NGOs marching towards Sihhiye Square.
All roads to Kızilay and Sihhiye squares were closed off due to the march.Security was at its highest level as groups went through checkpoints at the square before being allowed into the celebration venue.
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