As US President Donald Trump flew into Ankara for the 2026 Nato summit, Turkey’s membership of the military alliance continues to provoke anger domestically.

Opposition to Nato membership is nothing new among leftists in the country, but the ongoing genocide in Gaza and a sweeping crackdown and protest ban that have accompanied the summit have heightened anger over Ankara’s hosting of the meeting.

A number of international figures, primarily socialists and anti-war activists, gathered in Istanbul on Saturday for a counter-summit opposing Nato. There have been regular demonstrations on the streets of the country, even as the Ankara Governorate imposed a ban on Sunday, set to last throughout the duration of the conference.