Final Decision from Istanbul Regional Administrative Court: Taksim Ban on May 1st is Unlawful
This is the statement by DİSK President Arzu Çerkezoğlu on behalf of the DİSK Board of Directors regarding the May 1st decision made by the Istanbul Regional Administrative Court following our application.
As you know, our application to the Istanbul Governorship to hold the 2024 May 1st Unity, Struggle, and Solidarity Day celebrations in Taksim Square was denied with an unlawful decision, and we were prevented from reaching May 1st Square by a police barricade at Saraçhane Kemerleri.
Against the Governorship’s ban, we filed a lawsuit with the Istanbul Administrative Court to suspend the execution and annul the decision. After the first-instance court rejected our request, we appealed the decision.
The Istanbul Regional Administrative Court, which reviewed the appeal, found our application to be justified and ruled that the Istanbul Governorship’s decision to ban Taksim on May 1st was unlawful, and it annulled the decision. This decision is final and not subject to appeal.
In its ruling, the Istanbul Regional Administrative Court explicitly referred to the historical and symbolic significance of Taksim Square for May 1st celebrations. It ruled that the right of workers and unions to assemble and hold demonstrations in this area cannot be arbitrarily blocked by the administration.
This decision is also consistent with the precedent-setting rulings previously issued by the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court, which have registered Taksim as a May 1st area.
Our historical and social justification has once again been confirmed by a court ruling.
We call on those who govern the country to stop resisting court decisions and to comply with the law.