President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday pledged that Türkiye would continue to safeguard workers’ rights, saying his government would not allow laborers to be disadvantaged under any circumstances.
“We will never allow the rights of our workers, who earn their living through their labor and create added value for their country and nation, to be violated. Our vision is clear,” Erdoğan said during a May 1 Labor and Solidarity Day reception at the Presidential Complex.
The president hosted representatives of workers, civil servants and employers, marking the annual observance with a message focused on unity, social justice and economic development.
“I am a brother who started life with the title of worker,” Erdoğan said, adding that he considers May Day a personal holiday. “You know best the importance that both I and our government attach to labor and to labor receiving its rightful reward.”
Highlighting reforms implemented during more than two decades in power, Erdoğan said his administration had expanded trade union rights, removed barriers to organization and strengthened collective bargaining mechanisms.
“We have increased the bargaining power of our employees. We have implemented historic regulations in occupational health and safety,” he said. “We have granted our public employees the right to collective bargaining and strengthened the rights of women, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in working life.”
Erdoğan emphasized that these steps were taken through consultation with labor representatives, unions and professional organizations.
“We walked together with our unions, confederations and professional organizations. We see our unions as our companions on this journey,” he said.
Referring to a recent dispute involving unpaid wages for miners, Erdoğan said authorities had intervened to resolve the issue, reiterating the government’s commitment to workers.
“We will never take any step against the worker, the laborer, the employee,” he said. “It is your sweat that truly makes this country a homeland.”
Erdoğan said Türkiye’s long-term goal is to build a labor system that prioritizes people and strengthens social justice.
“We desire a working life that puts people at the center, glorifies labor and strengthens social justice,” he said. “Together, in unity and solidarity, we will continue to develop and grow our country.”
Union and business leaders attending the reception also stressed dialogue and cooperation. Ergün Atalay, head of the Türk-İş confederation, said May Day events would be held across the country, while Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, president of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges, highlighted the importance of cooperation among different sectors.
Labor representatives pointed to ongoing efforts to address challenges through dialogue, while business leaders emphasized the interdependence of workers, employers and the state.
Separately, unions marked May Day in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, where members gathered to lay wreaths at the Republic Monument.
The Revolutionary Workers' Unions Confederation (DİSK) held a ceremony and press statement, with its chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu describing May Day as a symbol of unity and solidarity.
“Today is a day of unity, struggle and solidarity for workers across Türkiye and the world,” she said, highlighting the symbolic importance of Taksim Square for labor movements.
Separately, members of the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (HAK-İŞ) also gathered in Taksim, where they laid a wreath and issued statements marking the occasion.
Led by Istanbul provincial head Mustafa Iluk, the group commemorated those who lost their lives during the events of May 1, 1977, visiting Kazancı Yokuşu and placing carnations in their memory before returning to the square.
Iluk said unions were marking the day not only in Istanbul but across all 81 provinces, underscoring nationwide participation in May Day events.
May 1 is widely observed in Türkiye as a day recognizing workers’ contributions and promoting solidarity.
