01.05.1977
The Planned Ambush: Hotel Snipers and the Kazancı Trap
On May 1, 1977, nearly 500,000 people gathered in Istanbul’s Taksim Square. As the event was ending, snipers opened fire on the crowd from the roofs of the Water Administration building and the Intercontinental Hotel. Simultaneously, police armored vehicles (panzers) used sirens and explosives to drive the panicked crowd toward a narrow side street called Kazancı Slope. A truck had been pre-parked there to block the exit. Most of the 36 victims died not from bullets, but from being crushed or suffocated in this deliberate bottleneck.
Deep State Involvement and Political Cover-up
The attack is widely recognized as a "Counter-guerrilla" (deep state) operation. The firing began specifically during the speech of Kemal Türkler, the leader of the labor union DİSK, indicating the leadership was a direct target. Despite clear evidence of snipers, no one was arrested. Suspicious foreign nationals left the country that night without being questioned. Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel’s refusal to investigate right-wing or state-linked groups ensured that the perpetrators remained protected and the case went unsolved.
Prelude to the 1980 Coup and Taksim’s Symbolism
This massacre was a turning point used to create the social chaos necessary to justify the 1980 military coup. It aimed to break the momentum of the rising leftist movement in Turkey. Because of this tragedy, Taksim Square shifted from a mere public space to a sacred symbol of labor struggle and memory. The government's continued bans on the square for May Day celebrations today are a direct result of this historical trauma, making Taksim the primary center for political resistance in the country.