Turkish authorities have arrested more than 100 anti-NATO protesters ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara, amid reports of the arrest of journalists, civil society activists and academics, which critics say is a move to curb protests ahead of the summit.
Publish dateTuesday 7 July 2026 - 08:52
Story Code : 359926
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): Reports indicate that Turkish authorities have arrested more than 100 participants in an anti-NATO rally ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. A number of journalists, civil society activists, academics and members of left-wing groups have also been arrested in separate operations.
According to Reuters, the arrests took place on Sunday during a protest rally called by the Communist Party of Turkey in Ankara's "Gezil" Square. The Communist Party of Turkey said more than 100 of its members, including several of its executives, had been detained by police.
Turkey is set to host leaders of 32 NATO member states and officials from the alliance's partner countries on Tuesday and Wednesday. Security in Ankara has been tightened ahead of the summit, with gatherings banned and parts of the city facing security barriers and travel restrictions.
Images from the scene of the protests showed protesters holding flags and chanting slogans including "Killer NATO, get out of the country" and "We will not let NATO in." Riot police reportedly used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
In Istanbul, hundreds of people marched in a separate protest from Taksim Square to Dolmabahçe, and leftist groups held rallies in the Kadikoy district. Despite the heavy security presence, there were no reports of clashes in the city.
Kemal Okuyan, the secretary general of the Communist Party of Turkey, stressed that the protests would continue and said that NATO opponents would not allow Ankara to remain silent in the face of the alliance’s leaders.
Turkish media also reported that 39 other people, including journalists from independent media outlets, civil society activists and academics, had been detained in recent security operations. Halk TV and Cumhuriyet newspaper reported that the operations targeted left-wing parties, trade unions and civil society organizations in several provinces.
The Contemporary Lawyers Association also reported that the head of its Istanbul branch had been arrested and his home searched. According to Deutsche Welle, Boseh Sotoglu, editor-in-chief of the T24 news website, and Ceren Erdoğdu, a reporter for Oda TV, were also arrested in their homes. Turkish authorities have not yet announced the official reason for the arrests.
According to Reuters, the arrests took place on Sunday during a protest rally called by the Communist Party of Turkey in Ankara's "Gezil" Square. The Communist Party of Turkey said more than 100 of its members, including several of its executives, had been detained by police.
Turkey is set to host leaders of 32 NATO member states and officials from the alliance's partner countries on Tuesday and Wednesday. Security in Ankara has been tightened ahead of the summit, with gatherings banned and parts of the city facing security barriers and travel restrictions.
Images from the scene of the protests showed protesters holding flags and chanting slogans including "Killer NATO, get out of the country" and "We will not let NATO in." Riot police reportedly used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
In Istanbul, hundreds of people marched in a separate protest from Taksim Square to Dolmabahçe, and leftist groups held rallies in the Kadikoy district. Despite the heavy security presence, there were no reports of clashes in the city.
Kemal Okuyan, the secretary general of the Communist Party of Turkey, stressed that the protests would continue and said that NATO opponents would not allow Ankara to remain silent in the face of the alliance’s leaders.
Turkish media also reported that 39 other people, including journalists from independent media outlets, civil society activists and academics, had been detained in recent security operations. Halk TV and Cumhuriyet newspaper reported that the operations targeted left-wing parties, trade unions and civil society organizations in several provinces.
The Contemporary Lawyers Association also reported that the head of its Istanbul branch had been arrested and his home searched. According to Deutsche Welle, Boseh Sotoglu, editor-in-chief of the T24 news website, and Ceren Erdoğdu, a reporter for Oda TV, were also arrested in their homes. Turkish authorities have not yet announced the official reason for the arrests.
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