Turkish authorities detained over 100 people during anti-NATO protests held in Ankara and Istanbul on July 5, 2026, ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara [1, 2, 3]. The protests were organized by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) alongside other leftist groups.
Demonstrations took place in multiple locations, including Ankara's Kizilay Square, Istanbul's Taksim Square to Dolmabahce, and the Kadikoy district of Istanbul [1, 2, 3]. Protesters chanted slogans such as "Murderer NATO, get out of country" and "No passage to NATO," waving flags before riot police responded with tear gas [1, 2, 3]. Despite a heavy police presence in Istanbul, no scuffles were reported there [1, 2, 3].
The crackdown came amid heightened security measures in Ankara, where authorities banned demonstrations, erected barricades, and closed roads in preparation for the NATO summit that brought leaders from 32 member countries and partners to the capital [1, 2, 3].
Kemal Okuyan, secretary general of the Communist Party of Turkey, stated, "今天，我们在土耳其多个地方集结以抗议北约。我们说过，不会把安卡拉交给扈从北约者，也不允许安卡拉保持沉默。如今，我们兑现了这个承诺。" [2, 3]
Opposition politicians criticized the detentions as excessive. Tuncer Bakirhan, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, said, "The country has been fully turned into a detention centre by using the NATO summit as an excuse. We are living through days of undeclared martial law." [1]
The protests followed a wave of anti-terror raids in June 2026 that resulted in 103 arrests in Ankara and 39 detentions nationwide, including journalists and academics [1].
The NATO summit went ahead from July 7 to July 8 with representatives from the 32 member countries and partners attending in Ankara [1, 2, 3].
