Istanbul police announce major security lockdown for May Day
Turkish police have adopted tight security measures in the city of Istanbul as people are set to mark May Day on Sunday.
Almost 25,000 security forces have been deployed in Istanbul to provide security for the occasion that regularly sees clashes between Turkish protesters and police.
In order “to provide for the security of citizens” on labor day, 24,500 members of the Turkish security forces would be on duty in the city, the Istanbul governor's office said in a statement on Saturday.
The metro station on the symbolic Taksim Square will be completely closed and the station at the end of Istiklal Caddesi, the main shopping street, will be closed to exiting passengers.
Security measures are already evident in Taksim Square, the focal point of anti-government rallies, with metal barriers lining the roads and dozens of police present.
The statement said that numerous roads -- in particular those leading to Taksim -- will also be closed.
May Day marks a bloody violence on May 1, 1977, during which unknown gunmen opened fire on a peaceful crowd, killing dozens of people in Taksim square.
The security measures come after a series of attacks blamed on both Daesh Takfiri terrorists and militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Several foreign missions have warned their citizens over the risk of violence between demonstrators and security personnel in Istanbul on May 1.
On May 1, 2015, Turkish police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse May Day protesters in Istanbul as police and demonstrators engaged in severe clashes in some areas.
Turkey’s parliament passed a controversial security law last year, expanding police powers to crack down on protests.
The highly contentious security law was passed despite bitter resistance from all of the country's parliamentary opposition parties. Turkey’s Western allies and human rights groups have also expressed concern over the measure.
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