Four Detained in Turkey for Protesting NATO Near French Frigate
Turkish police detained four leftist activists in Marmaris who protested against NATO near a French frigate docked as part of an alliance mission.
In the Turkish city of Marmaris, police detained four individuals after they protested near a French Navy frigate that was in port during a NATO mission. According to Turkish Minute, the activists are members of the left-wing Red Party, a splinter faction of the Workers' Party of Turkey. They gathered for a demonstration at the Albatros pier on June 20, where the French frigate Guepratte, with a crew of 151, was moored.
The demonstration took place amid intensified anti-NATO campaigns by leftist groups ahead of the Alliance summit in Ankara next month. The detainees remained in police custody on Monday as they were being questioned. They are being interrogated on charges of inciting hatred and hostility among the public.
The protest occurred less than three weeks before the planned NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8. The summit has been criticized by leftist parties and anti-war groups who oppose Turkey's role in the Alliance. Anti-NATO protests in the country have a long history, especially in cities where Alliance facilities are located. The city of Adana, which hosts the Incirlik Air Base, has often been a center for demonstrations by leftist and anti-war groups.
Turkey plans to turn its capital into a "fortress" protected by missile defense systems and fighter jets ahead of the NATO summit. Ankara police have also ordered municipalities to round up stray dogs before the July 7-8 summit.
