Turkey detains activists and volunteers ahead of NATO summit, sparking rights concerns

In the days leading up to the NATO summit in Ankara on 7‑8 July, Turkish security operations detained hundreds of citizens, including members of the environmental NGO TEMA, academics, journalists, lawyers and workers. CHP MP Utku Çakırözer visited Sincan Prison and reported that ten detainees – six women and four men – are held in overcrowded cells, with some sharing a single bed, and many suffering health problems such as stomach bleeding, infections and high blood pressure. The volunteers said, “We have been in prison for three weeks; we miss our families and want our freedom.”

Separate allegations claim that detainee Mehmet Şimşek was beaten with batons and subjected to “cave‑type” prison conditions during his intake, with his lawyer describing the assault as torture. Human‑rights groups and the visiting MP argue that the arrests constitute “preventive detention” without legal basis and violate the constitutional right to protest. They are calling for the immediate release of all those held.

The case has drawn criticism from civil‑society organizations, which say the detentions are a serious violation of human rights and that the government is using the NATO summit as a pretext for suppressing dissent.