We oppose the fascist repression of the movement! The anti-imperialist youth arrested by the Turkish regime must be released immediately!
Statement by the Initiative for the World Anti-Imperialist Platform, Revolutionary Theory Group (Greece).
On the morning of 1 July, Turkish police raided the camp where the World Anti-Imperialist Youth Platform conference was taking place. Approximately 20 members of the international delegation of the World Anti-Imperialist Youth Platform, as well as Turkish youth activists, were violently detained by the authorities and remain in custody. The violent repression and arrests targeting representatives of the World Anti-Imperialist Youth Platform began in May in Kenya and are now continuing in Turkey.
Both Kenya and Turkey are strategically important countries for imperialism and colonialism. The NATO summit is due to take place in Ankara on 7 and 8 July. The main issue to be addressed at this summit is the transition of all NATO and European Union countries and their allies to a war economy in order to increase their direct involvement in aggressive warfare. This will be accompanied by a significant increase in military spending and a greater involvement in the production of weapons systems and ammunition, as well as more direct operational involvement on the Ukrainian front and all other potential and active fronts.
Tensions are running high around the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, Belarus and the so-called ‘Baltic republics’. Romania, a NATO member, is initiating procedures to annex Moldova, a move that brings the alliance’s aggressive actions against the autonomous Republic of Transnistria one step closer (where vast stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons systems and ammunition are stored) . Meanwhile, tensions in Transcaucasia are also on the rise, with the all-out operational NATOisation of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and activation of the strategically important Zanzegur Corridor. The primary objective is to disrupt the infrastructure of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and sever ties between Iran, Russia and China. All of this is taking place at a time when the conflict with Iran — with fronts ablaze in Lebanon, Palestine, and Yemen — appears to be an attempt by imperialism to buy time to launch its next attacks.
It is important to note that Greece and Turkey are strategically significant as they host a large number of bases and NATO facilities. Greece hosts at least 33 US-NATO bases and military installations. Greece recently participated in joint exercises with France and Canada in Armenia (Operation Eagle Partner 2026, 17–25 June 2026), with Russia being the obvious target.
All of the above indicates that, as the war escalates, so too will a transnational, fascist-style network of repression against every internationalist and anti-imperialist initiative and movement. This is evident from the arrests in Kenya and Turkey. In Turkey, the focus of this repression has shifted towards youth activists from the World Anti-Imperialist Platform. It is vital that we build an internationalist, anti-imperialist solidarity movement to demand the immediate and unconditional release of our comrades.
We link this movement to the struggle of our peoples, especially the Greek people, to close and expel the US-NATO bases which are turning the country and its people into targets for retaliatory strikes in this unjust war waged by the Axis. We call for immediate withdrawal from NATO, the EU and all other transnational imperialist organisations.
Long live the World Anti-Imperialist Platform!
Defeat and destruction of the forces of imperialism!
Victory to the forces of anti-imperialism and socialism!