Dawn operation against veterans' protest in Güvenpark!
It has been reported that veterans staging a sit-in at Ankara's Güvenpark were removed from the area by police intervention and that the group plans to march to the Ministry of Interior.
12punto
Veterans who were continuing their sit-in at Ankara's Güvenpark were subjected to a police intervention in the early hours of the morning. According to the information provided, a large number of police teams entered the park around 05:30 and cleared the area.
It was reported that the veterans in the park were asleep during the intervention and were taken to buses after being awakened by police teams. The veterans were reportedly taken to the Veterans Rehabilitation Center in Bilkent.
GÜVENPARK CLEARED
During the operation, some plainclothes police officers were seen wearing medical masks and hats. It was stated that Güvenpark was completely cleared following the intervention.
It was reported that the veterans taken to the rehabilitation center plan to march to the Ministry of Interior today following the events. No official statement has yet been made by the competent authorities regarding the incident.
An operation was carried out this morning at 05:00 with around 500 police officers against our veterans and relatives of martyrs who have been seeking their rights in Güven Park for 1 month. Each veteran was taken into custody by nearly 10 police officers without being given a chance to resist and taken to the rehabilitation center in Bilkent:
— Ümit Özdağ (@umitozdag) August 19, 2026
The ones I spoke with… pic.twitter.com/HD56q1m6WV
REACTION FROM ÜMİT ÖZDAĞ
Zafer Party leader Ümit Özdağ reacted to the police intervention against the veterans in a post on his social media account.
Özdağ made the following statement:
"An operation was carried out this morning at 05:00 with around 500 police officers against our veterans and relatives of martyrs who have been seeking their rights in Güven Park for 1 month. Each veteran was taken into custody by nearly 10 police officers without being given a chance to resist and taken to the rehabilitation center in Bilkent:
The veterans I spoke with said that they are currently free at the rehabilitation center and that they will hold a protest demonstration in front of the Ministry of Interior at 11:00 if they are allowed to leave.
The Turkish Grand National Assembly is disconnecting from the people, and the administration is disconnecting from the conscience of the nation."