Turkey in May 2026: the most important developments in society
Turkey, May 2026: public life in the month was marked by street protests. On May 1 tear gas was used at Taksim Square in Istanbul during May Day protests, and arrests were reported. On May 23 thousands rallied after a court ousted the leader of the main opposition party, and on May 24 protests took place in Ankara and Istanbul, with students demonstrating over the closure of Bilgi University. On May 30 the ousted leader, Özgür Özel, drew thousands to a protest in Ankara. On May 20 the trial of Deutsche Welle journalist Alican Uludag was reported.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned to the subject of population. On May 2 he warned of a demographic decline threatening Turkey, and on May 19 he called for more babies, though many parents were reported not to be following his appeal. Separately, a fleet of activist ships sailed from Turkey for Gaza on May 13 and 14, and a Turkish activist said on May 15 that the convoy aimed to reach Gaza in six days.
Natural events also affected the country. Torrential rains caused floods in northern Turkey around May 13 and 12 people were hospitalized. A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck east-central Turkey on May 20, with tremors felt across several provinces and no immediate reports of casualties or major damage. On May 27 flood alerts were in effect in Syria and Iraq after heavy rainfall and water releases by Turkey. A report published on May 2 said the sea level in the Eastern Mediterranean has risen by 15 centimeters since 1992.
In Istanbul, the city said it had collected 46 percent of its stray animals and was moving toward full control of the population. The Istanbul-based patriarchate said the Halki seminary will reopen soon, while a renovated Greek Orthodox school is set to be inaugurated but not reopened.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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