The event, held in Istanbul's Kadıköy district, formed part of the TKP's nationwide anti-NATO campaign and came amid sweeping restrictions imposed by the Erdoğan government, including a blanket ban on demonstrations and public gatherings in the capital.
The meeting was attended by workers involved in ongoing labour struggles, while cultural performances and poetry readings accompanied the political event, underscoring the close link between the struggle for workers' rights and the fight against imperialism.
A message of solidarity was delivered by Giorgos Marinos, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), who condemned the Turkish authorities' decision to ban demonstrations in Ankara ahead of the summit. Marinos reaffirmed the common anti-imperialist struggle of the communist parties of Greece and Turkey, describing NATO as an anti-communist alliance that has served the interests of capitalism since its foundation and continues to expand its aggressive role following the counter-revolutionary developments in the socialist countries. He also stressed that communists closely follow the contradictions among the imperialist powers while maintaining an independent class position.
The Istanbul mobilization comes as opposition to the NATO summit continues to grow across Turkey. The Erdoğan government has introduced extraordinary security measures that have effectively placed Ankara under lockdown, prompting strong criticism from the TKP and other anti-imperialist forces, which denounce the restrictions as an attempt to silence popular opposition to NATO's aggressive agenda.