Islamist newspaper confuses The Beatles with Gezi Park protesters

ISTANBUL

An Islamist newspaper in Turkey has confused The Beatles with Turkish high school students after misunderstanding a poster calling for people to take to the streets on May Day.

“The United June Movement [BHH] has undertaken a fresh provocation for May Day,” daily Vahdet claimed on April 27, referring to an umbrella organization that took part in the Gezi Park protests in 2013.

“Gezi activists, who are calling the youth to the streets on May Day, hung posters in several neighborhoods of Istanbul and wrote slogans on walls,” daily Vahdet claimed, adding that one of the posters featured “uniformed high school students.”

The May Day poster in question, however, featured the Beatles’ iconic “jump photo” from the cover of their album “Twist and Shout” and not Turkish high school students. 

“Are We Ready?” the poster read.

Vahdet had yet to correct its story on its website as of April 28.

Several organizations, including those which participated in past Gezi Park protests, have recently called for mass demonstrations in Istanbul’s iconic Taksim Square on May 1 to mark this year’s International Workers’ Day. 

Authorities, on the other hand, announced that no permits have been issued for any public event in Taksim Square on May Day, hinting that police are likely to use force to prevent any mass demonstration in the area.