International Summit Against NATO Held in Istanbul: ‘NATO and Imperialism Will Be Defeated’

The meeting, which was held before the NATO Summit in Turkey's capital, called for a common struggle against imperialist war policies, the arms race, and NATO bases. 

The meeting, organized by the TKP was held under the slogans “Humanity does not deserve humiliation and death” and “NATO and imperialism will be defeated”. 

In his opening speech, TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan drew attention to the historical and political consequences of Turkey's NATO membership. 

Okuyan stated that the TKP has recently added the slogan “NATO needs to get out of Turkey” to its demand for “Turkey to leave NATO,” adding that the two demands complement each other. 

Okuyan: NATO is everywhere in Turkey

Okuyan emphasized that NATO is not only a military issue in Turkey, stating, “NATO is everywhere in Turkey; in its politics, economy, culture, behind political assassinations, in the planning of coups, in psychological warfare, and in the information channels that pump out lies.”

He stated that the “Soviet threat” narrative used to justify Turkey's entry into NATO was untrue, saying that the Soviet Union did not pose a military threat to Turkey; on the contrary, it supported Turkey's struggle for independence.

He said that Turkey's bourgeoisie entered under the imperialist umbrella to secure its dominance and ensure the inviolability of the social order. 

'AKP is preparing to renew their vows with NATO'

The general secretary stated that during the AKP's rule, Turkey became more systematically integrated into NATO and US aggression. 

Referring to the Greater Middle East Project, the Syrian war, and the neo-Ottoman strategy, Okuyan said that while relations with Russia were used as bargaining chips with the West, Turkey has returned to a NATO-centric line since 2023. 

Okuyan stated that behind this shift are reasons such as the bourgeoisie's need for resources, the arms industry's goal of gaining a share of world markets, the Ukraine war, and the US's regional moves, and said that for the summit in Ankara, “the government is preparing to renew their vows with NATO.” 

He pointed out that the summit would not be merely a symbolic event, but would be a stage for the reorganization and strengthening of NATO as an offensive organization. Saying that Turkey's bourgeoisie is trying to create space for itself by exploiting the cracks within NATO, Okuyan concluded, “We will witness a new version of neo-Ottomanism under the NATO umbrella.” 

Shared Emphasis from International Representatives: NATO is a War Organization

Representatives from the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA), the German Communist Party (DKP), Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the Hungarian Workers' Party, the New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN), the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE), the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), the World Peace Council (WPC), and the Greek Committee for International Detente and Peace (EEDYE) spoke at the meeting. The contribution of the Portuguese Peace and Cooperation Council, which could not attend, was read by the presidium.

The speeches emphasized that NATO is not a “defensive alliance,” but an imperialist war and intervention organization. 

Representatives drew attention to the increase in military spending in their countries, the support given to NATO bases, the arms race escalated through the Ukraine war, the aggression in the Middle East, and the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian people. 

Militarism, Bases, and the War Economy in Europe 

In the speech given on behalf of the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA), it was stated that despite Austria's official neutrality, it is increasingly involved in the military plans of NATO and the EU. 

The representative of the German Communist Party (DKP) stated that militarism is being strengthened in Germany through a “war-ready country" policy, and that the working class is paying the price. 

In a speech delivered on behalf of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the bans imposed on anti-NATO demonstrations in Turkey were condemned, and a message of solidarity with the TKP (Communist Party of Turkey) was given. The speech stated that Greece has been turned into an outpost in imperialist war plans with US and NATO bases, and that NATO and the EU do not guarantee the security of the people. 

A representative from the Hungarian Workers' Party stated that Hungary's NATO membership has involved the country in various imperialist processes, from the bombing of Yugoslavia to the war in Ukraine. 

A representative from the New Communist Party of the Netherlands stated that NATO's war budgets constitute an attack on social rights, and that in the Netherlands, pension, social security, health, and education expenditures are being targeted for the sake of militarization. 

A representative from the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) said that the EU's war policies have aggravated the international situation. 

The representative of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) also said that Spain, especially the Rota and Morón bases, have been turned into a military platform for NATO operations. 

Call from youth and peace organizations to fight against NATO 

The World Democratic Youth Federation's delegate stated that NATO imposes compulsory military service, militarism, and war on young people, and said that youth will not be pawns of imperialist wars. 

In the speeches of the World Peace Council and the Greek Committee for International Detente and Peace (EEDYE), calls were made for the dissolution of NATO, the closure of military bases and the expansion of the common struggle of the people. 

Messages of solidarity with the people of Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, and Cuba also came to the fore in the speeches. 

Okuyan: Being against NATO is not a crime, it is a responsibility 

Speaking again to close the meeting, TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan said that the AKP government is making a great effort to protect NATO and suppress the anti-NATO voice; stating that this shows the situation that capitalism and imperialist system is dragging the world into. 

Okuyan stated that Ankara was closed to citizens due to the NATO Summit and that the city was turned into a giant prison, and that the reason for the security of the summit was not convincing. Reminding that demonstration bans were imposed in cities hundreds of kilometres away from Ankara, he pointed out that the issue was to suppress the anti-NATO voice. 

Okuyan said that he would not attribute TKP's anti-NATO stance to any ban and said, "Anti-NATO and the fight against imperialism are not a crime. It is a responsibility, an obligation." 

'Defending NATO must become harder in this country' 

Okuyan emphasized that anti-NATO actions not only have a symbolic meaning, but are also an ideological struggle. Stating that the elements of the bourgeois politics in Turkey remained silent against the NATO Summit, Okuyan said that different political circles, from social democrats to nationalists and Islamists, did not show any opposition regarding NATO. 

"We need to ensure that defending NATO and NATO becomes more difficult in this country," said Okuyan, adding that defending NATO should become a source of shame. Okuyan said that the anti-NATO protests organized by the TKP mean not only the defence of a political program but also the dignity of the working people. 

The meeting ended with a call to expand the international struggle against NATO, imperialism and war policies.