Some Roads in Istanbul Closed to Traffic

The Istanbul Governorship announced the measures taken, the roads to be closed, and alternative routes in connection with May 1st Labor and Solidarity Day.

In a statement issued by the Governorship at 02:30 on 01 May 2026, it was noted that all relevant units were continuing their work on a 24/7 basis so that May 1st Labor and Solidarity Day could be spent in peace in Istanbul.

The statement reported that, during “Virtual Patrol” operations, it had been determined that various marginal groups were once again using May 1st as a pretext this year by making calls for unlawful actions on social media channels.

Emphasizing that a series of precautionary decisions had been taken in order to protect the peace of Istanbul, ensure the safety of life and property of citizens, prevent unlawful actions, and in accordance with the obligations arising from Articles 11/C, 11/H, and related articles of Provincial Administration Law No. 5442, the statement noted the following:

“As of 05:00, it was decided that, in the Beşiktaş, Beyoğlu, Şişli, Fatih, Kadıköy, and Kartal districts, in the areas rendered sterile and placed under security measures by the security units of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the district municipalities on account of May 1st Labor and Solidarity Day, the garbage containers located there be removed the night before, that stones and similar materials located along possible march routes be cleared and the area be made sterile, that no municipal vehicles or personnel be kept in these areas, that—taking into account previous experience throughout the province—İETT bus stops be relocated to other suitable points on 1 May 2026 with routes rearranged and necessary arrangements made regarding glass stops, and that no vehicles be kept in the parking lot of the cleaning works building next to Beşiktaş İnönü Stadium so that it may be used as a parking lot by the security units when needed.”

Measures Taken in Kadıköy and Beyoğlu

The statement also covered the roads to be used, alternative routes, and other measures.

Accordingly, by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, as of 05:00 on Friday, 1 May, the tram line between the intersection of Rıhtım Sokak and Albay Faik Sözdener Caddesi and the section between Söğütlüçeşme Caddesi and General Asim Gündüz Caddesi will be closed; Tıbbiye Caddesi from Kavak İskele Caddesi, Rıhtım Caddesi, Söğütlüçeşme Caddesi, and Kurbağalıdere Caddesi from Faikbey Sokak will be closed to the use of İETT buses and minibus lines; and the İspark parking area on Rıhtım Sokak, the Kadıköy Seaside Open Parking Lot, and the Kuşdili Open Parking Lot will be cleared, with no private vehicles admitted so that security vehicles may park.

In the Beyoğlu district, on Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi, İnönü Caddesi, Tersane Caddesi, Tarlabaşı, Refik Saydam, and Mete Caddeleri, and in the Şişli district, on the inbound and outbound routes along Taşkışla Caddesi, Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Halaskargazi Caddesi, Mecidiyeköy Meydanı, and Büyükdere Caddesi up to the Esentepe Variant, it was decided that, from 20:00 on Thursday, 30 April until 07:00 on Saturday, 2 May, no parking be allowed in the İspark areas located along the specified streets and that necessary evacuations be carried out, and that, as of 05:00 on Friday, 1 May, 2 (two) illuminated signboards together with their vehicle drivers be assigned to the Ring Roads Teams Directorate for use at the O-1 North Road Mecidiyeköy Junctions and the O-1 South Çağlayan Side Road Junctions.

Some Metro and Tram Services Suspended

It was decided that, by the Foundation for Strengthening the Turkish Police Organization, as of 05:00, a sufficient number of tow trucks together with their drivers be assigned to the teams directorates in the Kadıköy, Kartal, Şişli, and Beyoğlu districts, and that, by the Marine Services Directorate of the Department of Environmental Protection and Control, as of 05:00 on Friday, 1 May, the Galata and Unkapanı bridge officers be kept ready at their posts.

From 05:00 until the end of the measures, it was decided that the İETT Bus Platforms at the Rıhtım, İskele Meydanı in the Kadıköy district be cleared, that no buses be kept in the area, and that the glass stops located there be dismantled and removed until after the measures so that no problems arise within the scope of the security precautions; and that, as of 05:00 on Friday, 1 May, the Taksim, Şişhane, and Osmanbey metro stops (including all entry and exit points) of the M2 Yenikapı-Seyrantepe-Hacıosman metro line be closed to services, that only the Meydan exit of the Mecidiyeköy Metro Station remain open, that services on the Kabataş-Taksim Meydan Funicular line be suspended, that the Nostalgia tram services on İstiklal Caddesi be suspended, that services on the Funicular line between Tünel Meydan and Karaköy be suspended, that the Taksim, Tarlabaşı, Ömer Hayyam, and Tepebaşı İETT Bus stops (in both directions, namely toward Şişli and toward Fatih) be closed to service, and that services on the T3 Kadıköy - Moda Tram Line be suspended.

As of 05:00, it was decided that no passengers or vehicles be carried back and forth between the European side and the Anatolian side (to the piers located in the Beşiktaş, Beyoğlu, and Fatih districts), while services to the Eyüp side will continue. However, services to the Balat, Beyoğlu, Sütlüce, and Hasköy seaside areas were cancelled.

The parking lots around Taksim, Şişhane, Kabataş, Mecidiyeköy, Şişli, Saraçhane, Beşiktaş Meydan, Dolmabahçe, and Kadıköy İskelesi will be cleared, and vehicle parking will not be permitted. No vehicle parking will be allowed on any of the avenues and streets located in the Beyoğlu, Beşiktaş, Şişli, Fatih, Kadıköy, and Kartal districts, on the routes leading to Taksim Meydanı, and in their immediate surroundings.

Beyoğlu

The road routes closed in Beyoğlu as of 05:00 on account of May 1st Labor and Solidarity Day are as follows:

İstiklal Caddesi, Sıraselviler Caddesi, İnönü Caddesi, Mete Caddesi, Prof. Dr. Bedri Karafakioğlu Caddesi, Boğazkesen Caddesi, Ömer Hayyam Caddesi (from the Tarlabaşı-Taksim junctions), Atıf Yılmaz Caddesi, Turancı Başı Caddesi, Hamalbaşı Caddesi, Kamer Hatun Caddesi, Yeni Çarşı Caddesi, Meşrutiyet Caddesi, Bostanbaşı Caddesi, İlk Belediye Caddesi, Hayriye Caddesi, Asmalı Mescit Caddesi, Cihangir Caddesi, Tak-ı Zafer Caddesi, Abdülhak Hamit Caddesi, Galip Dede Caddesi, Asker Ocağı Caddesi, Taşkışla Caddesi, Zambak Sokak, Meşelik Sokak, Mis Sokak, Billurcu Sokak, Balo Sokak, Sadri Alışık Sokak, Akarsu Yokuşu Sokak, Defterdar Yokuşu Sokak, Kazancı Yokuşu Sokak, Kumbaracı Yokuşu Sokak, Osmanlı Sokak, Dünya Sağlık Sokak, Selime Hatun Cami Sokak, Çiftevav Sokak, Akyol Sokak, Halas Sokak, Nuri Ziya Sokak, Miralay Şefikbey Sokak, Tarlabaşı Bulvarı, Refik Saydan Caddesi, Unkapanı Köprüsü Taksim direction, Dolapdere Taksim Caddesi, Sakızağacı Caddesi, Çukur Sokak, Peşkirci Sokak, Demirbaş Sokak, Kalyoncu Kulluğu Caddesi, Ömer Hayyam Caddesi, Aynalı Çeşme Caddesi, Tepebaşı Caddesi, Piyalepaşa Bulvarı Fişekhane Deresi intersection Dolapdere direction, Bahriye Caddesi Taksim-Dolapdere junction Dolapdere direction, Tersane Caddesi and all avenues and streets leading onto this avenue, and Yedikuyular Caddesi from Irmak Caddesi in the Taksim direction.

Alternative roads to be used by drivers in Beyoğlu:

Tarlabaşı Bulvarı, Refik Saydam Caddesi, Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi, Tersane Caddesi, Barbaros Bulvarı, Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Yedikuyular Caddesi, Irmak Caddesi, Piyalepaşa Bulvarı, Bülent Demir Caddesi, Bahriye Caddesi, Fişekhane Deresi Caddesi, Dereboyu Caddesi, Melek Sokak, Evliya Çelebi Caddesi, Piyalepaşa Bulvarı, Irmak Caddesi (from Taksim in the Dolapdere direction), Akağalar Caddesi, Kurtuluş Caddesi.

Kadıköy

In Kadıköy, as of 05:00, the following will be closed to traffic: Tıbbiye Caddesi located between the Kavak İskele Caddesi-Tıbbiye Caddesi intersection and the Rıhtım Caddesi-Tıbbiye Caddesi intersection, and all roads leading onto this avenue; Rıhtım Caddesi located between the Tıbbiye Caddesi-Rıhtım Caddesi intersection and Rıhtım Sokak-Rıhtım Caddesi, and all roads leading onto this avenue; Albay Faik Sözdener Caddesi located between the Rıhtım Sokak-Albay Faik Sözdener Caddesi intersection and the Söğütlüçeşme Caddesi-Albay Faik Sözdener Caddesi intersection, and all roads leading onto this avenue; Kurbağalıdere Caddesi located between the Fahrettin Kerim Gökay Caddesi-Kurbağalıdere Caddesi intersection and the Söğütlüçeşme Caddesi-Kurbağalıdere Caddesi intersection, and all roads leading onto this avenue; and Söğütlüçeşme Caddesi located between the Söğütlüçeşme Caddesi-Kurbağalıdere Caddesi intersection and the Rıhtım Caddesi-Söğütlüçeşme Caddesi intersection, and all roads leading onto this avenue.

The alternative routes were determined as Fahrettin Kerim Gökay Caddesi (Minibus Road), Kurbağalıdere Caddesi (Hasanpaşa direction), Dr. Esat Işık Caddesi, Acıbadem Caddesi, Recep Peker Caddesi, Bağdat Caddesi, the D-100 highway, Taşköprü Caddesi, and Dr. Eyüp Aksoy Caddesi.

Kartal

The roads to be closed in the Kartal district as of 11:00 are Savarona Caddesi (the section between the intersection with Turgut Özal Bulvarı and the intersection with Hükümet Caddesi) and Hükümet Caddesi (the section between the Kartal Baba underpass and Savarona Caddesi). As alternatives, drivers may prefer Turgut Özal Bulvarı, Egemenlik Bulvarı, Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi, and Üsküdar Caddesi.

Şişli

In Şişli, as of 05:00, the following will be closed to traffic: Büyükdere Caddesi (the section between the Esentepe entrance and Halaskargazi Caddesi), Merkez Caddesi, Halaskargazi Caddesi, 19 Mayıs Caddesi (the section between the Türk Kalp Vakfı Junction and Büyükdere Caddesi), Aytekin Kotil Caddesi (the section between the Cevahir Business Center and Büyükdere Caddesi), Bahçeler Sokak, Garaj Sokak, and Ortaklar Caddesi (the section between Mecidiyeköy Meydanı and Bahçeler Sokak).

In this district, drivers may use as alternatives Ortaklar Caddesi, Abidei Hürriyet Caddesi, Mevlüt Pehlivan Sokak, Vali Konağı Caddesi, Hakkı Yeten Caddesi, Dolapdere Caddesi, Darülaceze Caddesi, Hrant Dink Sokak, Ebe Kızı Sokak, İzzet Paşa Sokak, and Rumeli Caddesi (the section between the Nişantaşı Junction and the Osman Bey Junction).

Beşiktaş

In the Beşiktaş district, various avenues and streets will be partially or completely closed to traffic in cases deemed necessary in order to ensure the safety of any pedestrian and vehicle traffic.