Istanbul hosts anti-US and NATO protests during summit

Hundreds of demonstrators held a protest against NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in Istanbul this Tuesday (7), the first day of the summit taking place in Ankara, the country's capital.

Protesters marched from Taksim Square to Beşiktaş over a distance of more than 7 kilometers, chanting slogans against the US and the military alliance.

"We are not protesting against a two-day summit; we are protesting against imperialist plans that threaten Turkey's future," said Ali Ergin Demirhan, one of the protesters.

NATO leaders announced arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars in Turkey on Tuesday, reinforcing the message that they are heeding U.S. calls to increase European defense spending even as President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction.

NATO leaders meet for summit in Türkiye this Tuesday (7) | BEHIND THE SCENES CNN

On the same day, Donald Trump met with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and mentioned to the press the possibility of selling F-35 fighters to the country, calling the Turks "much more loyal than other countries that we expected to be loyal".

Representatives from member countries gathered for a summit in the Turkish capital in the hope of demonstrating unity after another difficult year in which tension with Iran has once again exposed fissures in the alliance that has underpinned Western security since the end of the Second World War.

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Source: CNN