More than 100 detained as leftist prepare for NATO summit

Turkish authorities detained more than 100 people taking part in an anti-NATO protest march organised by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) on Sunday, ahead of an alliance summit in Ankara next week.



Turkey will host leaders from the 32 allied countries, as well as officials from NATO's partners, in Ankara for a summit on Tuesday and Wednesday.



Authorities have ramped up security measures across the Turkish capital ahead of the meeting, banning demonstrations, barricading large parts of the city, and closing off roads.



In a statement, the TKP said it had organised the protest march in Ankara's central Kizilay square, adding that more than 100 party members, including administrators, had been detained.



Footage showed flag-waving protesters chanting slogans including "Murderer NATO, get out of country" and "No passage to NATO", as riot police intervened using tear gas to disperse crowds.



In a separate protest organised by the TKP, hundreds of people marched from Istanbul's Taksim Square to Dolmabahce.



There were also two separate protests organised by leftist groups in the Kadikoy district. Despite a heavy police presence, there were no scuffles during the protests in Istanbul.