ISTANBUL MAY DAY 2007

UNCLAS ISTANBUL 000363

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV TU
SUBJECT: ISTANBUL MAY DAY 2007

REF: ISTANBUL 358

This message was coordinated with Embassy Ankara.


1. (SBU) Following Sunday's "largest ever" demonstration in
Turkey (reftel),a union-inspired crowd today took to the
streets to hold traditional May Day demonstrations.
Depending on where one started the day, the morning commute
was either easier than normal or nearly impossible as police
tried to keep demonstrators from reaching what had been the
traditional May Day gathering place in Taksim Square where a
demonstration 30 years ago ended with deaths. This year, the
Istanbul Governor's office denied protest permits for Taksim
Square, consistent with recent practice. While most union
leaders agreed to hold the annual rally on the Asian side of
the city, the leadership of the Confederation of
Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DISK) opted to defy the ban on
meeting in Taksim. By mid-day, police had managed to keep
all but approximately 1000 demonstrators from reaching the
square by curtailing subway, bus and ferry service as well as
using water cannon and tear gas.


2. (SBU) May Day comes on the heels of Istanbul's huge
demonstration Sunday, April 29, when citizens turned out in
force in support of Turkey's secular nature (reftel). In
contrast to Sunday's peaceful, festive event featuring vastly
greater numbers of people, today's gatherings in Istanbul
were marred by violence when demonstrators determined to
reach a traditional May Day protest point met police just as
determined to prevent them from gathering in the unauthorized
location. Istanbul police typically react strenuously to
unauthorized demonstrations. International Women's Day 2005
was marked by significant violence as police attempted to
disperse an unauthorized demonstration in Kadikoy.


3. (SBU) Embassy Ankara labor contacts representing the two
largest labor confederations, Turk-Is and Hak-Is, did not
agree with DISK's decision to press ahead with a
demonstration in Taksim Square. Osman Yildiz, Hak-Is' head
of international relations, said given the high degree of
tension already prevalent in the countriy tied to the
presidential election process, DISK's decision was "not
corrrect." Yildiz said that according to contacts of his
within the labor movement, detainees will likely be released
this evening. Yildirim Koc, an official with Yol-Is, a union
affiliated with Turk-Is, similarly criticized DISK's
"stubbornness" in insisting on marching to Taksim. However,
Koc, whose daughter was among the DISK marchers this
afternoon, said that the security forces acted "intolerantly"
expecially in comparison to their attitude during the massive
April 29 rally in Istanbul.

BACKGROUND
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3. (SBU) On May 1, 1977, 36 were killed when gunfire from a
hotel rooftop on Taksim Square triggered a stampede.
Twenty-nine of the victims died in the stampede and the
remainder were killed by gunfire. Reports at the time
indicate panic grew as police attempted to channel the crowd
down narrow streets. It was never determined who opened
fire. Police claimed socialist groups were responsible, but
no one was ever charged with the shooting.
JONES