ISTANBUL — 1977 · Major Tragedy

Taksim Square May Day 1977

UnsolvedSources: ALast updated: 14 October 2026

During the Labour Day rally in Taksim Square on 1 May 1977, attended by hundreds of thousands, gunfire triggered mass panic and a crush. Thirty-four people died and more than a hundred were injured; most were crushed or suffocated, while some were shot. Those who opened fire were never conclusively identified. A years-long trial of 98 people, mainly trade unionists and members of left-wing groups, produced no convictions, and the case lapsed under the statute of limitations.

Date: 1977
Place: Taksim (Beyoğlu), Istanbul
Category: Major Tragedy
Case Status: Unsolved
Coordinates: 41.0370, 28.9850 ↗

Timeline of Events

1 May 1977Gunfire and a crush at the Taksim rally left 34 dead.
1977-1978An investigation opened; the shooters were not identified.

1978-1990sA trial of 98 defendants ended with no convictions.
AfterwardsThe case lapsed; the killings remain unsolved.

Sources

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