---
title: "Gas, Arrests, and Slogans: How Turkish Communists Broke the Silence Before the NATO Summit"
description: "In Turkey, police used tear gas against communists protesting the NATO summit in Ankara. More than 100 people, including party leaders, were detained. Activists chanted slogans against the alliance, demanding the withdrawal of troops. 🚨🇹🇷🇳🇦🇹🇴"
date: 2026-07-06T04:32:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/gas-arrests-and-slogans-how-turkish-communists-broke-the-silence-before-the-nato-summit
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Gas, Arrests, and Slogans: How Turkish Communists Broke the Silence Before the NATO Summit

![Demonstrators with red flags and anti-NATO slogans at a rally in Turkey ahead of the NATO summit](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/06/protesty-v-turtsii-protiv-nato-ankara/protesty-v-turtsii-protiv-nato-ankara-1.webp)

In Ankara, where a major NATO summit is being prepared this week, serious protests have erupted. The police had to use tear gas against the demonstrators to disperse the unauthorized march. The action was organized by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), whose members gathered on the central Kızılay square, ignoring the official ban by the authorities on holding rallies.

### "NATO Killer, Get Out of the Country"

The atmosphere on the square was tense to the limit. Protesters, armed with red flags, chanted slogans directed against the alliance. Among the loudest cries were calls: "NATO Killer, Get Out of the Country" and the categorical demand "No Way for NATO".

The authorities' response was a harsh suppression of the action. Police used chemical agents to clear the space. As a result, more than a hundred participants were detained. In a statement, the TKP clarified that among the arrested were not only ordinary activists but also leaders of the party administration.

### Mass Actions in Istanbul and Increased Repression

The scope of the protests was not limited to the capital. In Istanbul, hundreds of people took to the streets, marching from the famous Taksim Square to the Dolmabahçe Palace. Activists also gathered in the Kadıköy district. Unlike in Ankara, the situation in Istanbul passed relatively calmly: despite a significant police presence, fights were avoided.

The General Secretary of the TKP, Kemal Okuyan, personally addressed the participants of the action in Istanbul, stating that the party had fulfilled its promise not to let Ankara "be silent" and not to hand over the city to NATO supporters.

Experts and media note that such arrests are part of the authorities' overall strategy. Over the past month, pressure on activists has significantly intensified against the backdrop of preparations for receiving foreign delegations. The statistics from recent weeks are impressive:

    - Last month, during anti-terror raids, 103 people were arrested.

    - In total, 225 people were detained during these operations.

    - On Sunday, police arrested another 39 activists in other regions of Turkey.

### Summit Context and International Disagreements

Turkish authorities officially explain the tightening of measures as a necessity to combat terrorism and ensure security during the international event. The summit will last two days — Tuesday and Wednesday, July 7 and 8.

It is expected that US President Donald Trump will be present at the meeting in Ankara, with whom a meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy is planned. However, despite the high level of participants, the diplomatic agenda is not without difficulties. NATO countries have not yet been able to agree on the text of a joint statement. The main reason for the disagreement is cited as the timing and volume of military aid to Ukraine.