Turkish authorities detained more than 100 people taking part in an anti-NATO protest march organised by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on Sunday, ahead of an alliance summit in Ankara next week.
Protests Across Turkey
The TKP said it had organised the protest march in Ankara’s central Kizilay square, adding that more than 100 party members, including administrators, had been detained. Footage showed flag-waving protesters chanting slogans including “Murderer NATO, get out of country” and “No passage to NATO”, as riot police intervened using tear gas to disperse crowds.
In a separate protest organised by the TKP, hundreds of people marched from Istanbul’s Taksim Square to Dolmabahce. There were also two separate protests organised by leftist groups in the Kadikoy district. Despite a heavy police presence, there were no scuffles during the protests in Istanbul.
“We have gathered today in many parts of Turkey to protest against NATO,” TKP Secretary General Kemal Okutan said in Istanbul. “We said that we would not hand over Ankara to supporters of NATO, that we would not allow Ankara to remain silent. We have fulfilled that promise.”
The government did not immediately comment on the protests or the detentions. Authorities last month arrested 103 people as part of anti-terror raids in Ankara in which 225 people were detained.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
