Hawzah News Agency- as Ankara readies to host the NATO summit on July 7 and 8, the "No to NATO Coalition" organized simultaneous protest rallies in Istanbul and Izmir to voice opposition to both the gathering and the military alliance's policies.
In Istanbul, demonstrators gathered in front of Trump Tower. Özgül Saki, a lawmaker from the DEM Party, and İskender Bayhan, a deputy from Turkey's Labor Party (EMEP), were among those in attendance. A statement read at the rally denounced the Turkish government's policies, describing the hosting of the NATO summit as an attempt to curry favor with Western powers. It further alleged that the government was restricting civil liberties and intensifying pressure on political activists in order to create favorable conditions for the meeting.
The statement branded NATO a "warmongering, imperialist organization," emphasizing that the Turkish people do not want NATO, its military bases, or figures like Donald Trump and Tom Barrack on their soil.
Protesters also pointed to regional wars and crises, holding NATO complicit in the developments in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Libya, as well as in support for the Israeli regime during the Gaza war. They declared their opposition to the region being turned into a theater for new conflicts.
Izmir Rally Targets NATO Base
In Izmir, hundreds gathered in front of a NATO base, chanting slogans against the alliance and government policies ahead of the summit, and denouncing the mounting pressure on opposition movements and the curtailment of civil liberties.
The "No to NATO Coalition," in a joint statement, put forward four core demands: the closure of all NATO bases on Turkish soil, Turkey's immediate withdrawal from the alliance, the dissolution of the military pact, and an end to the global arms race.
The coalition further pointed to developments in Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, and Syria, calling for opposition to warmongering and interventionist policies. It urged the Turkish people to join the protest rallies and voice their rejection of the NATO summit and imperialist agendas.
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