Protests in Istanbul Oppose NATO Summit and Demand Closure of Foreign Bases

On Saturday, members of the United Metalworkers Union in Istanbul organized a protest ahead of the NATO summit scheduled to take place in Ankara on July 7 and 8.

The demonstrators carried banners with slogans such as "NATO wants war… workers want peace" and "No to war… yes to peace now."

Arzu Cirkezoglu, head of the Progressive Workers' Unions Confederation in Turkey, stated that hundreds of homes had been raided and dozens of people arrested merely on suspicion of intending to participate in protests against the NATO summit. She added that authorities had prevented critical media outlets from covering the summit and that the right to assemble and demonstrate, one of the most basic democratic rights, had been completely suspended.

Cirkezoglu also said the NATO summit would discuss new war policies, emphasizing that workers and peoples worldwide bear a heavy cost from wars, conflicts, arms races, and military policies. She stressed, "We want peace."

These protests are part of a series of events held in various Turkish cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, opposing the NATO summit. Participants demanded Turkey's withdrawal from the alliance and the closure of foreign military bases on Turkish soil.