A protestor holds a sign, center, which reads ‘killer USA,’ and another holds a sign, right, which reads ‘killer Nato out’ during a demonstration ahead of the NATO Summit in Istanbul, Sunday. [AP]
Turkish authorities detained more than 100 people taking part in an anti-NATO protest march organized by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on Sunday, ahead of an alliance summit in Ankara next week, the party said in a statement. Turkey will host leaders from the 32 allied countries, as well as officials from NATO’s partners, in Ankara for a summit on Tuesday and Wednesday. Authorities have ramped up security measures across the Turkish capital ahead of the meeting, banning demonstrations, barricading large parts of the city, and closing off roads.
In a statement, the TKP said it had organized the protest march in Ankara’s central Kizilay square, adding that more than 100 party members, including administrators, had been detained.
Footage showed flag-waving protesters chanting slogans including “Murderer NATO, get out of country” and “No passage to NATO,” as riot police intervened using tear gas to disperse crowds.
In a separate protest organized by the TKP, hundreds of people marched from Istanbul’s Taksim Square to Dolmabahce. There were also two separate protests organized by leftist groups in the Kadikoy district. Despite a heavy police presence, there were no scuffles during the protests in Istanbul.
