Anti-NATO Protests Erupt in Turkey Ahead of Alliance Summit

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Xinhua, anti-NATO demonstrations broke out Sunday, July 5, in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir ahead of a NATO summit, with protesters accusing the alliance of being an “imperialist war organization” that threatens peace and stability and diverts resources from education, healthcare and workers’ wages. Demonstrators carried banners reading “NATO wants war, workers want peace,” “Budgets should be for the people, not NATO,” and “Oppose NATO, oppose war,” and chanted anti-NATO slogans. In Istanbul, workers, civilians and members of political parties held a large rally over the weekend calling for NATO to be dissolved and strongly opposing NATO pressure on member states to increase defense spending. The Ankara summit is expected to announce several major defense procurement agreements, many of which could benefit U.S. defense manufacturers, the report said.