Arrests and criticism ahead of NATO summit in Ankara: Turkey expands security measures

Arrests among media professionals

The authorities justified the operations as part of counterterrorism investigations, officially targeting the youth organization of a banned left-wing group. According to the authorities, ammunition and prohibited digital materials were seized during the searches. Critics, however, see this as an attempt to prevent protests against the NATO summit in advance.

The Turkish Journalists' Association (TGC) and the Association of Progressive Lawyers (CHD) demanded the release of the arrested journalists on platform X. CHD Istanbul regional chair Ezgi Önalan was also arrested and her apartment was searched. Several government-critical media outlets had also not received accreditation for the NATO summit as of the time of reporting.

Criticism from journalists' associations and the opposition

Erol Önderoglu, Turkey representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), described the police operations as "blinden, willkürlichen und ungeordneten Einsätzen" and warned that they endanger the reputation and safety of journalists. Lawyer Erman Öztürk told the AFP news agency that the apparent goal was "Demokraten, Linke und die Presse einzuschüchtern".

In a separate operation in the western Turkish province of Kocaeli, police arrested 28 suspects alleged to have links to extremist groups, according to their own statements. On Sunday evening, according to agency reports, around 100 people were also arrested in Ankara after a demonstration against the summit that had been organized by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP).

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the court-appointed chairman of Turkey's largest opposition party CHP, sharply criticized the crackdown on protests. Addressing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he wrote on X: "Nicht die Existenz von Demonstrationen schadet dem Ansehen eines Landes, sondern die Unterdrückung des Rechts auf demokratischen Protest."

Imamoglu supporters and international attention

Supporters of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been imprisoned since March 2025, also made their voices heard ahead of the summit. They called on Turkey's international partners not to reduce the rule of law to a "bloßen Fußnote" and cautioned that "strategische Bedeutung" must not replace "demokratische Legitimität". Turkish stand-up comedian Deniz Göktas, meanwhile, was arrested and jailed on charges of insulting Islam and Erdogan.

The NATO summit with the heads of state and government of the 32 alliance members, including US President Donald Trump, is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Ankara. The opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, which reported on the wave of arrests, is considered a government-critical outlet. Observers expect that tensions surrounding press freedom and the right to assembly will overshadow the summit.