Turkish police detained four people after they protested a French Navy frigate on a NATO mission in the resort town of Marmaris, as left-wing groups step up anti-NATO campaigning ahead of next month’s alliance summit in Ankara.
The activists, members of the left-wing Red Party, a breakaway faction from the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), were taken into custody after demonstrating outside Albatros Marina, where the French Navy frigate Guepratte docked on June 20 with a crew of 151. The Red Party announced the detentions on social media and demanded the release of its members.
The detainees remained in police custody Monday while their statements were being taken, according to Turkish media reports. Gazete Pencere reported that they were questioned on an accusation of inciting hatred and hostility among the public.
The protest came less than three weeks before NATO leaders are due to gather in Ankara on July 7 and 8. The summit has attracted criticism from left-wing parties and anti-war groups that oppose Turkey’s role in the alliance.
Representatives of several opposition groups, including the Labor Party (EMEP), TİP, the Left Party, the People’s Houses and the Social Freedom Party (TÖP), met in the southern city of Adana for a panel discussion titled “Why No to NATO?”
Participants criticized NATO military interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria and argued that the alliance has shaped Turkey’s security and foreign policies for decades. They also opposed what they described as increasing militarization ahead of the Ankara summit and called for cooperation among anti-war and anti-imperialist groups.
Perihan Koca, a lawmaker from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), said preparations for the summit were already affecting daily life in Ankara.
Authorities have announced road closures and traffic restrictions, ordered municipalities to remove stray dogs from routes and areas linked to the summit and prepared to deploy tens of thousands of security personnel. Media reports have also said some student dormitories will be used to house police officers assigned to summit security. Municipal crews have repainted buildings along routes expected to be used by NATO delegations.
Other speakers at the Adana panel discussion said rising military spending and growing geopolitical tensions were pushing NATO toward a more confrontational role. They warned that Turkey could become more involved in regional military strategies led by the United States and its allies.
Anti-NATO protests in Turkey have a long history, especially in cities hosting alliance facilities such as Adana, where İncirlik Air Base has often been a focus of demonstrations by left-wing and anti-war groups. Ahead of major NATO meetings, political parties and activist groups often increase public messaging against the alliance, framing it as a domestic political issue as well as a foreign policy concern.