Thousands protest against NATO summit in central Istanbul
Thousands of demonstrators marched in central Istanbul to protest the ongoing NATO summit in Ankara, chanting anti-American slogans and calling the alliance a 'mass murder machine'.
A large-scale protest against the NATO summit took place in central Istanbul on Tuesday, July 7. Thousands of people, including representatives from leftist, pro-Palestinian, and Kurdish groups, marched through the city's main streets, chanting anti-American slogans such as "Murderers, USA, get out of our country!" The demonstration was directed at the NATO summit being held in the Turkish capital Ankara.
One protester, 21-year-old Ali Gültekin, stated: "We are here to protest the holding of the NATO summit in Ankara – at a cost of millions of dollars – an organization we consider a mass murder machine created to preserve global hegemony." The march proceeded peacefully but under heavy security.
Earlier this week, Turkish authorities detained several individuals, including journalists, academics, and members of leftist groups, during raids in several provinces ahead of the summit. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, upon arriving at the NATO summit in Turkey, again expressed dissatisfaction with allies and hinted at further reductions of the American troop presence in Europe.
