Trade unions such as the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DISK), the Confederation of Public Employees' Unions (KESK), the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and the Turkish Dental Association (TDB) held a press conference about the 1 May celebration to be held in Taksim Square in Istanbul. The unions underlined their demands for unity, justice, freedom, peace and brotherhood.

DISK Secretary General Tayfun Görgün spoke about the importance of 1 May and said that the union representatives would oppose the usurpation and shrinking of fundamental rights and freedoms.

The trade unionist also noted that Turkey is among the 10 worst countries in the world in terms of workers' rights, and emphasized that Taksim has become one of the symbols of democracy.

Güngör said the importance of 1 May by highlighting issues such as workers' rights, demand for justice, democracy and the struggle for humane life, and called on people to fill the squares. "Being on the streets on 1 May means protecting our work, our food, our bread and our labor. Being on the streets on 1 May means defending our rights, our law, our demand for justice in income, taxes and the country. Being on the streets on 1 May means education, to protect our right to speak and decide. To be in the streets on 1 May is to protect our right to unionize and to strike."