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Turkey Cracks Down on Dissent as Trump Heads to NATO Summit in Ankara

HeadlineJul 06, 2026

President Trump is flying to Turkey today for the NATO summit in Ankara, where he’s scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Heads of state from over 30 countries are also scheduled to attend. Ahead of Trump’s visit, Turkish police detained more than 100 protesters as they marched to demand Turkey’s withdrawal from NATO. Among those arrested in Ankara were several journalists, human rights activists and academics. Police also cracked down on protests in Istanbul.

Neslihan Koçaslan: “NATO’s crimes around the world are apparent. They have also committed numerous offenses in Turkey, orchestrated coups, and have bases here. And now, shamelessly, they are being hosted in Ankara. I am here today to protest, because I cannot accept this blow to my honor. NATO is a very big criminal organization.”

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