Turkey detains 178 on terrorism charges ahead of NATO summit

Turkey’s prosecutors have placed 178 people in pre‑trial detention as part of a broad anti‑terrorism investigation launched before the NATO leaders’ summit in Istanbul. The arrests, carried out on 23 June in coordinated raids by police and gendarmerie, include journalists, academics, lawyers, trade‑unionists, teachers, students and civil‑society activists. Of the 225 individuals initially detained, 178 remain in custody, 34 have been released under restrictive conditions and six were freed by the prosecutor’s decision. Prominent detainees include Giliniz Tar, editor‑in‑chief of the LGBT‑focused magazine Kaos GL, and economist Emel Memis of Istanbul University. Turkish authorities say the operation targets links to the Islamic State, but human‑rights groups note the sweeping nature of the crackdown.

The large‑scale arrests come as Turkey prepares to host the NATO summit on 7‑8 July, which will be attended by 32 heads of state, including the United States president. The timing has raised concerns among international observers about the impact on freedom of expression and the rule of law in Turkey.