Police intervened against people who had gathered at Kurtuluş Park in Ankara in response to a call by the “No to NATO Coordination,” detaining a large number of people, including representatives of political organizations.
On the first day of the 36th NATO Summit, held in Ankara on July 7–8, police intervened in a protest planned for Kurtuluş Park in Ankara at the call of the “No to NATO Coordination.”
Members of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MPs Kezban Konukçu and Perihan Koca, Labor Party (EMEP) MPs İskender Bayhan and Sevda Karaca, Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) Chair and MP Erkan Baş, and People’s Houses Chair Sevinç Hocaoğulları were among a group that was surrounded by police around 11 a.m.
The groups under siege frequently chanted slogans such as “Murderer NATO, collaborator AKP,” “NATO get out, this country is ours,” and “Imperialists, collaborators, don’t forget the 6th Fleet.”
According to a post on the Ankara branch of the Association of Contemporary Lawyers (ÇHD)’s X account, 22 TİP students attempting to march toward Kurtuluş Park and approximately 75 people in Dikmen were detained “under torture and ill-treatment.” In addition, numerous individuals—including Halkevleri President Sevinç Hocaoğulları, Ece Ünsal, and ÇHD member Şevval Sarı—were also detained. According to the post by the ÇHD Ankara Branch, nearly 100 people were detained during today’s protests.
Police, who also intervened in the march held on Dikmen Street, detained Halkevleri Chairperson Sevinç Hocaoğulları, Halkevleri Secretary-General Özgür Ersoy, Legal Secretary Döndü Kurşunoğlu, and Central Executive Committee (MYK) member Nebiye Merttürk, subjecting them to the torture of being handcuffed behind their backs. Footage showed police in the detention vehicle attempting to silence Nebiye Merttürk, a member of Halkevleri’s Central Executive Committee (MYK), by squeezing her mouth and throat.
Kezban Konukçu, spokesperson for the Socialist Solidarity Platform (SODAP) and DEM Party Member of Parliament, stated in a statement following the police intervention: “Right now, at the meeting point where we gathered to go to Kurtuluş Park, they are detaining people one by one right beside us. They are beating and torturing them. We gathered to say, ‘NATO, get out—this country is ours.’ NATO is a war organization. We will not allow NATO supporters to have a foothold in this country.”
Interference with media workers
Police also intervened against media workers who were covering the protests and filming the detentions.
Erkan Baş, General Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Turkey, noted that Ankara has been under siege for days, stating, “They are detaining and arresting our friends, but they cannot silence the voices opposing imperialism, NATO, and its local collaborators in this country. “Today, we have shown once again that these voices cannot be silenced,” he said. Baş also noted that the police intervened not only against the demonstrators but also against the press covering the protests.
What had happened?
Ahead of the 36th NATO Summit to be held in Ankara on July 7–8, all forms of press statements, marches, sit-ins, setting up booths, distributing leaflets, hanging posters and banners, and hunger strikes were banned throughout the city from June 28 to July 10 by order of the governor’s office.
As part of summit preparations, Ankara’s main roads, diplomatic transit routes, and accommodation areas were closed off. Transportation and access to many areas were restricted around Beştepe, Söğütözü, Anadolu Boulevard, Mevlana Boulevard, Dumlupınar Boulevard, Atatürk Boulevard, and Ankara Boulevard.
Ahead of the NATO Summit, during house raids that continued across Turkey from late June until the day of the summit, a large number of people—including academics, lawyers, students, union members, and political party representatives—were detained. Among those detained was Niha+ reporter Abbas Vural. Of those detained in late June, 236 were subsequently arrested.
