Turkey detains over 200 in pre-NATO summit security sweep
Turkish security forces conducted raids in Ankara on Tuesday, detaining more than 200 individuals suspected of links to extremist groups, including the Islamic State, ahead of next month's NATO summit. The operation, which targeted 241 suspects under detention orders from the chief prosecutor's office, netted 209 arrests, with efforts continuing to apprehend the remaining suspects.
According to an official statement, among those detained were 56 alleged members of the Islamic State group and 35 members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front, a far-left group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and other nations. The raids are part of routine security measures ahead of the July 7–8 summit, which will be attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders of the 32-member alliance.
Turkey has announced strict security protocols for the summit, including a ban on demonstrations, restricted access to roads near airports, and sealed-off zones around the summit venue and hotels hosting delegations. These measures are consistent with previous high-level events in the country.
However, some Turkish media outlets, including the independent newspaper Birgun, reported that a politician, an LGBTQ activist, and three lawyers with alleged ties to left-wing groups were among those detained. This has raised concerns from opposition parties and civil society groups that the government may be using security as a pretext to silence critics and prevent anti-NATO protests.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) condemned the detentions, stating, 'This arbitrary wave of detentions and arrests targeting leftist and socialist institutions once again reveals the state the country has reached. Turning Ankara into a giant prison with bans imposed for the NATO Summit is unacceptable.'
Turkey has a history of security sweeps ahead of major events. Last month, security forces detained 324 individuals suspected of links to the Islamic State group in nationwide operations. The Islamic State has carried out deadly attacks in Turkey, including the 2017 New Year's nightclub shooting in Istanbul that killed 39 people.
The government has not commented on the allegations of arbitrary detentions, and the official statement did not address the reports of politicians or activists being held. The situation remains under scrutiny as the summit approaches.
