Atatürk had that sign hung on May 1st!

On May 1st Labor Day, which has been celebrated by the world's workers for over a century and a half, May 1st Labor Dayworkers are grappling not only with their demands for rights but also with the practices of the political power. So much so that the bans in Istanbul resemble the years of occupation from 102 years ago. 

Extensive security measures were taken against the demands of political parties, unions, labor associations, and organizations to celebrate in Taksim Square, and all roads leading to the square were closed. Meanwhile, public transportation networks in the region were also suspended.

OCCUPYING BRITISH FORCES BAN MAY 1ST

Exactly 103 years ago, on April 27, 1921, the strict order given by General Harrington, commander of the occupying British forces, to Colonel Ballar, head of the Istanbul Police Commission, can be considered proof of how much the ruling powers of the time feared the labor movement:

Workers will not hold a rally on May 1st!

According to one view, there was a prevailing concern in Europe at that time that labor movements could turn into a mass uprising. In Istanbul, at that time, approximately There were 40,000 workers. present.

Colonel Ballar, acting on orders he received, gave the following instruction to the occupying forces in the city:

All kinds of political or other rallies and demonstrations are prohibited by order of the military command. It is declared to the public that those who do not take this order seriously and attempt to take action will be apprehended and punished. No applications for either the May 1st occasion or other demonstrations will be taken into consideration.

'CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAY IS A DUTY FOR THE WORKER'

In response to these British restrictions, leaflets were distributed by Hüseyin Hilmi Bey, known by the nickname 'İştirakçi Hilmi' (Participant Hilmi), the leader of the Socialist Party of Turkey. The leaflet in question contained the following statements:

From the Socialist Party of Turkey:

The first day of May is the most sacred holiday for the working class. Celebrating this sacred holiday is a duty for all workers.

Our party, which is respectful of the laws and has proven that it has always acted in accordance with the laws, has only permitted the work of laborers employed by the electricity administration.

Following this move by Hüseyin Hilmi Bey, who defended the rights of workers in places such as the Şirket-i Hayriye (City Ferry Company), the Tramway Company, and the Golden Horn Administration, and who gathered thousands of members for his party, the scale of the British threat also increased. It was announced that those who participated in the march would be imprisoned.

RED FLAG WAS HOISTED

On the morning of May 1, 1921, in a city where tram and ferry services had stopped, only the workers at the electricity company were on duty. Due to the climate of fear created by the British, thousands of blue-shirted workers spent their time in the gardens of Kağıthane and then dispersed. Only the Socialist Party of Turkey held a ceremony on Babıâli Street in Fatih. At the ceremony, a 'red flag' was hoisted and the Internationale anthem was played. 

'DOWN WITH IMPERIALISM AND CAPITALISM'

On the same day, at the ceremony held at the Soviet Embassy, which was also attended by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who was organizing the independence resistance in Anatolia, A banner reading "Down with imperialism and capitalism" was hung. 

Meanwhile, the Ankara Government announced that it would enact a new law for May 1st. 

The first reading of the bill protecting the rights of Ereğli mine workers was completed in the Parliament.

Accordingly;

Children under the age of 18 could not be employed in the mines.
Forced labor of workers was being prohibited.
The employer was required to contribute to the Workers' Aid Fund, provide free medical treatment for workers, and pay compensation to those who were injured.
Working hours were not to exceed eight hours.
Worker baths and worker barracks were to be built near the mines. 

MAY 1, 1922 ISTANBUL

Exactly one year later... When the calendar pages showed May 1, 1922, the obstacles imposed by the occupying forces continued. In addition, it was announced that all necessary facilities would be provided for workers to reach their workplaces. However, the workers, who were more organized and conscious compared to the previous year, were determined not to bow down to the bans this time. 

A 'May 1st Commission' was established to organize the ceremonies. The committee included the Socialist Party of Turkey, the Workers and Peasants of Turkey

Socialist Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Armenian Social Democratic Party, the Workers' Association of Turkey, and the International Workers' Union. The published May 1st ceremony program stated the following:

1- All workers currently in Istanbul, whether men or women, and whether they belong to an organization or not, are invited to this holiday.

2- The gathering center is Pangaltı. All friends who will participate in the holiday will be in Pangaltı at eleven o'clock and will be welcomed by the organizing committee wearing red armbands.

3- They will arrive in groups and will not hold any demonstrations during their march within the city, and they will act with a dignity and composure befitting proletarian consciousness.

4- The holiday will begin in Pangaltı, and all groups will move together from Pangaltı toward Kağıthane at 11:30 AM with a band in the lead, and the comrades will sing workers' songs accompanied by the music.

5- In Kağıthane, the speeches of comrades who will speak about the importance and history of the May 1st holiday will be heard; the holiday will continue until 5:00 PM, after which the comrades will disperse with the same composure and dignity.

6- Since the May 1st Commission assumes full responsibility before the police, all comrades are requested to comply with the warnings of the organizing committee and not to deviate from this program.

On the morning of May 1, 1922, workers gathered in Pangaltı took their places in the squares with Turkish flags and banners in their hands. Some of the slogans chanted were as follows:

"Turkish Laborers Want Unions!"

"Turkish Laborers Must Launch a Relentless Struggle Against Reactionism"

"We Protest the Oppression of the Bourgeoisie!"

“8 Hours Work, 8 Hours Rest, 8 Hours Sleep”

“Down with Reactionaries, Profiteers, Capitalists, and Imperialists”

“Workers of the World, Unite!” 

Meanwhile, the band never stopped playing the International Anthem. Furthermore, the speakers also made remarks praising the Ankara Government. 

MAY 1, 1922 ANKARA

The Soviet Embassy delegation also attended the ceremony organized by the Military Factory and Railway workers in Ankara. At the end of the ceremony, where those who fought against imperialism during the War of Independence were commemorated, the emphasis on 'imperialism' in the telegram sent to labor associations, federations, and the press was noteworthy:

While the workers of Anatolia celebrate with the deepest longing the sacred holiday of the laborers who demand their rights in the face of cruel imperialism and capitalism, they sincerely salute you, our comrades.

Source:

Prof. Afet İnan, İzmir Economic Congress, Turkish Historical Society Press-Ankara-1989
Hâkimiyet-i Milliye Newspaper, May 3, 1922
Zeki Sarıhan, Diary of the War of Independence, Turkish Historical Society (TTK)

Footnote:

1- May 1st Labor Day was celebrated for the first time in Istanbul in 1912.

2- In 1923, May 1st was legally declared "Labor Day."