DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakirhan called for participation in the activities planned for today, 1 May International Workers' Day. "As co-chairs of the DEM, we will be in Van and Istanbul to give a voice to the working people who are being exploited and killed, the women, the young people and all the oppressed. I will stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with the workers in Taksim Square in Istanbul."

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has banned Labor Day rallies on 1 May in Taksim, but trade unions and left-wing parties and organizations in Turkey do not recognize the ban and continue to call for demonstrations in Taksim today. Bakirhan said that 1 May was declared Workers' Day as a result of long struggles and that his party uncompromisingly stands up for the rights of all oppressed people and population groups. He said: "For us, 1 May is just like Newroz and 8 March a day of fighting. The resistance of the Kurdish people and the revolutionary spirit of the 1 May are siblings."

Bakirhan said that poverty in Turkey exists "because of the lack of democracy and the gap between rich and poor is increasing. Instead of ensuring that everyone has sufficient income, the government is investing public resources in cross-border military operations. At least 425 workers have been murdered in the last three months in their workplace. I say murdered because those are dead because there are no safe working conditions and no protective measures have been taken. Women are murdered and children are abused every day. More and more people are eating out of garbage bins. I call on all working people and public employees, all women and young people, our people and the entire population to show solidarity with the workers in Taksim Square."