Hundreds of TKP members gathered in central Ankara at the time and place previously announced by the party, despite extraordinary security measures that had effectively placed parts of the capital under a de facto state of emergency. As demonstrators marched toward Kızılay Square chanting anti-NATO and anti-imperialist slogans, police intervened and detained more than 100 participants.
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 Ankara Governor's Office has announced a blanket ban on meetings, demonstrations, marches, rallies, sit-ins, press statements and similar public events from June 28 to July 10, citing security concerns related to the NATO summit scheduled for July 7–8.
According to TKP’s announcement, the rally will be held on 5 July under the slogan: “NATO means death and dishonor; long live peace, independence and socialism!” The party called on the people to gather before the summit and deliver a strong warning to the imperialists.
The party announced a week of political activities and protests between 4 and 12 July, culminating in a major rally on 5 July against NATO, imperialism and Turkey’s deepening involvement in Euro-Atlantic military plans.
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| Protest during the NATO Summit in The Hague, June 2025. |
At the June 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, member states committed to raise military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. This escalation, cynically framed as a commitment to “defend democracy and freedom” and “support Ukraine,” is in fact a war agenda serving the declining hegemony of Euro-Atlantic capital in the face of increased inter-imperialist rivalry.
"They are there on behalf of an alliance (!)
An alliance whose members laugh and joke at each other in luxurious halls, at sumptuous tables, and shower each other with gifts.
Then…
“The NATO Summit, which will be held from 9 to11 July 2024, in Washington, D.C., marks a new round of intensification of Euro-Atlantic aggression around the world. In the foreground is the escalation of the imperialist war in Ukraine between the Ukrainian bourgeoisie, which actively supports and is backed by NATO, and capitalist Russia and its own allies, which poses great dangers for the peoples.
World Federation of Trade Unions
The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing more than 105 million workers who work live, and struggle in 133 countries all over the world, strongly condemns the continuation of military interventions and wars, the accelerated militarization of international relations and confrontational rhetoric, the soaring of the military expenditures, as well as the NATO plans amid the escalating intra-imperialist confrontation.
“The NATO Summit in Vilnius (Lithuania), which is due to be held on 11–12 July 2023, will add further fuel to the fire of imperialist wars and rivalries. These rivalries are currently manifested in the fierce military conflict in Ukraine, as well as in the tension in the Indo-Pacific and other regions, where the struggle over raw materials, energy, the transport routes of the commodities, market shares, i.e. for the division of capital’s profits, is escalating.
The NATO Summit, which is taking place on 29–30 June in Madrid, is a step towards the further escalation of NATO aggression against the peoples, but also the intensification of imperialist competition, which is currently manifested in the imperialist military conflict in Ukraine.
The NATO Summit seeks to update the NATO doctrine that is dangerous to the people and to strengthen the aggressive strategy “NATO 2030”. In the context of this strategy, NATO’s Rapid Reaction Force is being legitimized and increased tenfold to over 300,000 troops, focusing on the war zone in Eastern Europe.
"The NATO Summit that will take place on 29–30 June in Madrid will be a spearhead for the further escalation of NATO’s aggression against the peoples and the sharpening of imperialist competition, which is currently manifested in the fierce military conflict in Ukraine.
The NATO Summit seeks to strengthen the aggressive “NATO’s Strategic Concept”, focusing on:
More specifically, the WPC stresses out:
The biggest war machine in history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is having its Summit on 29-30 June in Madrid, Spain. One more summit where the war hawks of 30 countries and their governments will ratify and develop their imperialist plans as a ’’world sheriff’’.
"Today, during the NATO Leaders Summit, G7 and EU meetings held in the first month of the Russian Federation’s military action against Ukraine, decisions for more support for Ukraine against possible nuclear and other attacks and new sanctions against Russia were issued.
"NATO Summit's “heavy agenda” casts over the people the threatening shadow of the criminal plans included in the “NATO 2030” strategy.
NATO expands its activity around the world, invoking new threats, such as cyber-attacks, the so-called hybrid wars and under the pretext of climate change, aiming to escalate its offensive plans against the people and the opponents of the euro-atlantic imperialism, China and Russia, within the context of the intensified competitions unfolded within the global capitalist system.
