Operation in İstanbul, İzmir and Ankara ahead of May Day: Numerous citizens detained!
On the day before May Day, house raids were carried out in the early hours of the morning in Ankara, İzmir and İstanbul. Numerous individuals, including university students, trade unionists, and members of the LEFT Party, EMEP and TİP, were taken into custody. In the operations, detention orders were issued for 16 people in Ankara. In İstanbul, 22 individuals were detained, including members of the May Day Organising Committee. In İzmir, it was reported that detention orders had been issued for 60 people, and 41 were taken into custody.
In İzmir, numerous raids were carried out in the early hours of the morning. A large number of individuals, including university students, trade unionists, and members of the LEFT Party, EMEP and TİP, were taken into custody.
It was reported that a total of 60 detention orders had been issued in the investigation conducted by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Bureau for Terror and Organised Crime. As of 10:30 a.m., 41 individuals had been detained.
According to the statement from the Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation is being conducted in relation to the protests that began following the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality operation on 19 March, during which Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained. Those under detention are accused of “attacking the police and spreading terrorist propaganda.”
Among those detained are Savaş Candemir, Chair of Eğitim Sen İzmir Branch No. 5, and his wife Gülsen Candemir. It was also reported that Necat Sezginer, a member of the United Transport Workers’ Union (BTS), affiliated with KESK, was among those detained. Meanwhile, the İzmir branch of the LEFT Party announced that four of its members had been taken into custody.
BAR ASSOCIATION REACTS: "RELEASE THE DETAINEES IMMEDIATELY!"
The İzmir Bar Association condemned the detentions in a statement, saying: "This morning, we have learned that many of our citizens have been detained in connection with the protests in March. We do not accept attempts to silence and intimidate citizens who exercise their democratic rights through detention/arrest practices, and once again declare our support for all those currently held in custody. All detainees must be released immediately!"
16 DETENTION ORDERS IN ANKARA
In Ankara, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention orders for 16 individuals allegedly affiliated with THKP-C/Devrimci Hareket and said to be active across the province. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau launched the investigation into individuals accused of participating in “organisational activities” and “engaging in propaganda” in Ankara on various dates, following the calls and instructions of THKP-C/Devrimci Hareket. It was stated that operations were ongoing, carried out by Ankara Police Department’s Counter-Terrorism Unit to complete the detentions.
TWO SEPARATE OPERATIONS IN İSTANBUL
In İstanbul, 22 individuals were detained in two separate operations. In the first operation, 8 members of the 1 May 2025 Taksim Organising Committee, who held a press conference in Beyoğlu yesterday (29 April) calling for mobilisation to Taksim, were detained. Among those taken into custody were Şahin Başaraner, General Chair of the Highways Transport and Labourers’ Union (Kataş-Sen), and Yunus Özgür, Organising Secretary of the Construction Workers' Union (İnşaat-İş). Kamber Saygılı, General Chair of the Limter-İş Union and a member of the Organising Committee, was also detained.
In the second operation, 14 individuals who issued a call to gather in and around Taksim Square were also taken into custody.
Source: 1 Mayıs öncesi İstanbul, İzmir ve Ankara'da operasyon: Çok sayıda yurttaş gözaltına alındı!
