The 36th leaders' summit of the imperialist war machine NATO began yesterday in Ankara. Citizens who wanted to protest the summit, which will continue today, were taken into custody following a harsh police intervention in the capital.

The Palace regime, which has officially declared a state of mobilization for the summit preparations for weeks, is seeking the legitimacy it has lost domestically from the US and NATO.

While NATO, the main actor of dozens of wars and the killer of millions, discusses its new era policy in Ankara, the government is trying to fortify the regime internally. The AKP government, declared a "capable ally" by US bureaucrats, is signaling that it is vying for all tasks that will come from NATO.

DOZENS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

As the NATO summit continues, citizens who claim the country's will for independence continue to be taken into custody. Yesterday in Ankara, the police intervened against the crowd that wanted to protest the NATO summit, and more than 100 people were detained with harsh force.

A large number of people, including TİP (Workers' Party of Türkiye) Chairman Erkan Baş, TİP Spokesperson Sera Kadıgil, DEM Party (Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party) MP Keziban Konukçu, EMEP (Labour Party) MPs İskender Bayhan and Sevda Karaca, and Halkevleri (People's Houses) Chairman Sevinç Hocaoğulları, were surrounded by police. The police surrounded the institution representatives and activists with shields to prevent journalists from filming, and also removed journalists from the scene. As a result of the intervention, many people were detained with their hands cuffed behind their backs. One person was seen being choked in a police detention vehicle.

MPs and citizens stated, "We will stand side by side in Ankara and all over the country to raise our voices against the summit."

The Adana Labour and Democracy Platform held a press conference in İnönü Park regarding the NATO summit. In the statement, the presentation of NATO as a "security organization" was opposed, and it was emphasized that the alliance brings war, destruction, and poverty to the world's peoples.

The day before, 3 citizens, 2 of whom were from the SOL Party, were detained in Denizli. Yesterday morning, it was announced that SOL Party Denizli Executive Board Member Orhun Çoban had also been detained. Of the 3 people referred to the courthouse around noon, 2 were released with a travel ban and an obligation to sign in, while SOL Party Denizli Provincial Executive Board Member Orhun Çoban was released after giving his statement to the gendarmerie. Those who gave statements were asked about the NATO-anti and Mahir Çayan posts shared on the SOL Party's social media account. Additionally, the Revolutionary Path (Devrimci Yol) flag unfurled during a funeral was among the questions asked in the statements.

Denizli Labour and Democracy Forces also gathered in front of Candoğan Park to protest the summit. In the read press statement, it was emphasized that NATO causes world peoples to suffer, and a struggle against imperialism was stressed.

On the other hand, the detention period for 139 members of the TKP (Communist Party of Türkiye), who organized a NATO protest in Kızılay on July 5, was extended by one day by the prosecutor's office. Party lawyers announced that they had objected to the decision.

‘COMPLIANT ALLIANCE’

While citizens faced harsh interventions in the streets, the NATO summit began with the Defense Industry Forum.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pointed out that the platform brings NATO and the industry together, adding that the forum is also an opportunity for member countries' industries to showcase their capacities and innovations within the scope of the alliance. Rutte recalled that 1 year ago, allies at the summit in The Hague committed to investing more in defense and that defense expenditures would constitute 5 percent of the GDP by 2035.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also shared a post on his X account regarding the summit. In his post, Fidan stated: "At a turning point that will determine the future of the Alliance, NATO is ready to host its allies. The Ankara Summit will be a guide for the Alliance in aligning its structures with the world it faces. Türkiye's goal is clear: A more compliant, more competent, and more resilient alliance."

The government, which pays money for NATO, builds airports, and paves roads, lastly distributed gift thermoses. A bag was given to members of the press who were able to be accredited to the summit by the Presidential Directorate of Communications. More than 2500 members of the press were accredited for the summit, while opposition journalists were not granted accreditation.

WE WILL LIFT THE SANCTIONS

AKP President Erdoğan welcomed US President Trump at the airport. An official welcoming ceremony was held for the US President, who paid his first official visit to Türkiye. Following the ceremony there, the duo held a meeting at the Palace. Afterward, the two answered journalists' questions. Trump recalled the Pastor Brunson incident and said, "Some contacts had been established, but a point had not been reached. But when I called, the President released him immediately." Regarding the F-35s and CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) sanctions, Erdoğan said, "We will discuss the issue regarding the KAAN [fighter jet] and its engines again, Mr. Trump will repeat the good news he gave us regarding this, and we will thank him." Trump said, "I can say that we will lift the CAATSA sanctions."

LET'S UNITE AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND THE ONE-MAN RULE

While the NATO summit, for which the Palace regime has launched a mobilization, continues, the SOL Party shared its evaluation of the summit in 10 points with the public under the title "NATO get out. Türkiye will not surrender to imperialism and the imposition of monarchy."

The evaluation shared by the SOL Party with the public is as follows: "The political Islamist government once again reveals its full and deep commitment to the US and NATO. It wants to continue its rule, which has lost social support and which it tries to keep alive through oppression and tyranny, by surrendering Türkiye’s fate to Trump's US and NATO's new war concept.

The political Islamist government, shaped in accordance with the Greater Middle East policies of the US and imperialists, is trying to position Türkiye today within the new war concept expressed as NATO 3.0. This means turning Turkish territories into a military front with new NATO bases from the Black Sea to the South, along with a US-origin imposition of monarchy. We will never surrender to imperialism and the imposition of monarchy that our country is being forced into within this new war concept. Together with all the democratic, patriotic, anti-imperialist forces of our country and its oppressed working people, we will defend our country's future and honor; we will definitely scatter this blockade."

Evaluating the summit in 10 points, the SOL Party listed these points as follows:

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Trump Erdoğan’ı övdü, halk ‘NATO’ya hayır’ dedi, published in BirGün newspaper on July 8, 2026.