As NATO leaders prepare to gather in Ankara for a two-day summit starting Tuesday, Turkish authorities have intensified a sweeping crackdown on dissent, detaining scores of journalists, opposition figures, and activists ahead of the high-profile gathering. The arrests, which began weeks ago and escalated sharply over the weekend, have drawn condemnation from human rights groups and opposition politicians who accuse President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government of using the summit as cover to silence critics.

On Sunday alone, police detained more than 100 people during an anti-NATO protest organized by the Communist Party of Turkey in Ankara, according to the party’s statement . The detentions follow a pattern of arrests that have targeted lawyers, students, journalists, and even a prominent stand-up comedian, Deniz Göktas, who was taken into custody on charges of insulting Erdoğan and Islam. The comedian’s lawyer confirmed the arrest but provided no further details .

The crackdown has extended to media outlets, with critical journalists barred from accreditation for the summit. Buse Sötüglü, editor-in-chief of the foreign desk at the independent news outlet T24, and Ceren Erdoğdu of Oda TV were arrested in their homes on Sunday, their employers reported. Sötüglü’s lawyer, Erman Öztürk, told AFP that the detentions appeared linked to the NATO summit, describing them as an attempt to intimidate “democrats, leftists, and the press” . Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the raids as “blind, arbitrary, and chaotic,” warning they endangered the safety and reputation of journalists .

Opposition figures have seized on the repression to criticize Erdoğan’s record. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the main opposition CHP, took to X (formerly Twitter) to denounce the suppression of protests, writing: “It is not the existence of demonstrations that harms a country’s image, but the suppression of the right to democratic protest” . Supporters of Istanbul’s imprisoned mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, also urged international leaders not to overlook his detention as they convene in Ankara.

German politicians have joined the chorus of concern. Siemtje Möller, deputy leader of the SPD parliamentary group, called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz to address Turkey’s “deficits in democracy and minority rights” during the summit. “The ongoing attacks by President Erdoğan on the opposition and the rule of law must be clearly addressed,” she told the Funke Mediengruppe .

The Turkish government has framed the arrests as part of a broader counterterrorism operation, though critics argue the timing is no coincidence. Authorities have also restricted movement in Ankara, closing major arteries and deploying heavy police presence across the capital. The summit, which begins Tuesday, will bring together heads of state from NATO’s 32 member countries, including U.S. President Donald Trump.

Human rights advocates warn that the crackdown risks overshadowing the alliance’s deliberations. Ezgi Önalan, chair of the Istanbul branch of the Contemporary Jurists Association, was among those detained, her home raided and multiple clients arrested, the group reported . The repression has cast a shadow over the summit’s agenda, which is expected to focus on security threats, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and rising tensions in the Middle East.

As NATO leaders arrive in Ankara, the international community faces a stark choice: prioritize strategic interests or confront the erosion of democratic norms in a key alliance partner. The arrests, now numbering in the hundreds, underscore the tension between security imperatives and the protection of fundamental freedoms.

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Articles

Vor Nato-Gipfel – Journalisten und Bürgerrechtler in Ankara verhaftet Kurz vor Beginn des Nato-Gipfels in Ankara sind in der türkischen Hauptstadt erneut Journalisten und Bürgerrechtler verhaftet worden. Zudem sollen mehrere regierungskritische Medien keine Akkreditierung für den Gipfel erhalten haben.

welt.de · about 4 hours ago

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cyprus mail · about 4 hours ago

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liberation · about 5 hours ago

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orf.at · about 5 hours ago

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gazeta.pl · about 6 hours ago

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faz · about 6 hours ago

Turkish authorities detained more than 100 people taking part in an anti-NATO protest march organized by the Communist Party of Turkey, ahead of an alliance summit in Ankara next week, the party said in a statement.

bluesky_Reuters · about 6 hours ago

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corriere · about 7 hours ago

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irozhlas.cz · about 10 hours ago

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bluesky_Reuters · about 10 hours ago

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bluesky_Foreign Policy · about 10 hours ago

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observador · about 11 hours ago

Everything we dont like is terrorism: Turkey edition Miloš Karavezić, leader of the League of Socialist Youth, was arrested along with 20 other activists at an anti-NATO meeting in Çanakkale.#NATO #WelfareNotWarfare #FreePalestine

mastodon bot · about 11 hours ago