Uber drivers clash with security in Istanbul over seized cars

ISTANBUL

A group of Uber drivers clashed with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s security personnel on Aug. 9 when they organized a protest over their seized cars.

Angry Uber drivers, who were organized on social media, first went to the police center in Istanbul’s Bakırköy neighborhood to demand the return of their cars.

They argued with police officers who did not let them enter the center, before moving their protest to the municipality headquarters in the Fatih district.

The protest soon turned into a clash as some Uber drivers started to fight with security personnel.

After a series of violent attacks by taxi drivers on Uber drivers, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had intervened on June 1, heralding “an end” to Uber in Turkey.

“That business is now over. There is no such thing anymore,” he said.

Prime Minister Binalı Yıldırım also said the Uber dispute “is finished” and it is the government’s duty to remove the ridesharing app’s network.

Since then, the number of Uber cars in Istanbul have significantly decreased and many vehicles have been seized by authorities.

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