International Workers' Day

The Confederation of Public Servants Trade Unions (Memur-Sen) has applied to the Istanbul Governor's Office for a second time to hold May 1 International Workers' Day celebrations in the city's central Taksim Square, daily Cumhuriyet reported on April 6. 

Emrullah Efendi, an Ottoman education scholar, became the minister of education in 1910. He was elected to the Ottoman Parliament in 1909 from the K?rklareli province in Thrace. 

Turkey marked May Day in places across the country with celebrations, apart from its largest city Istanbul, where riot police did not hesitate to use tear gas and water cannons to halt groups that attempted to rally in the streets to reach the symbolic Taksim Square. 

BELGRADE- Serbian citizens traditionally marked the International Workers' Day with picnics, but the holiday known as Labor Day in Serbia was also marked with protests organized by certain trade unions.

Turkish police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters who had gathered in the Besiktas district of Istanbul despite a ban on holding May Day demonstrations in Taksim Square.

Istanbul Police Chief Selami Altinok said a total of 136 people had been detained by 2 pm local time on Friday, according to Turkey's Anadolu news agency, as cited by the BBC News.

Labor Day marked with picnics and rallies

BELGRADE -- International Workers Day, May 1, is known in Serbia as Labor Day and is a two-day non-working holiday in the country.

It is traditionally marked with early morning picnics and barbecues known in Serbian as "uranak" - and with protests organized by trade unions.

The Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia, the Independence Union and the Association of Unions of Pensioners will stage a protest in Belgrade on May 1, marking International Workers' Day.

Ahead of the protest, they organised a two-day campaign in six towns and cities across the country in order to promote labour rights and call for improvements.

Istanbul's iconic Taksim Square is set to be on lockdown to prevent celebrations of May Day, but opposition parties and some unions have announced that they are determined to march to the square, as the prime minister underlined that only "symbolic" rallies would be allowed.

Workers' unions have continued their calls to meet in Istanbul's Taksim Square for May Day celebrations, but the Istanbul Police Department has begun taking excessive security measures to prevent unions from gathering at the square after the governor's office prohibited rallies in the square.

May Day in Athens will be celebrated with traditional events and music for all ages. Youngsters are invited to make their own May wreaths flooding the area with spring scents and flowers.

At 8 p.m. enjoy a musical event, titled “Songs of May and Spring”.

Events are free and take place at Koliatsou Square and Amerikis Square.