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Ankara tightens security, arrests hundreds ahead of NATO summit
Turkey has deployed extensive security measures in Ankara ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit scheduled for 7‑8 July 2026. Around 56 000 police and gendarmerie personnel are on duty, main arteries such as the O‑20 ring road, Mevlana, Atatürk and several boulevards are closed, parkings are banned and motor‑courier services halted. A NOTAM restricts air traffic at Esenboğa Airport and checkpoints have been set up at key routes and near hotels hosting delegations.
At the same time, authorities have carried out large‑scale detentions. More than 100 protesters taking part in anti‑NATO marches organized by the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) were arrested in Ankara’s Kızılay square, with similar actions in Istanbul and other cities. Journalists, editors, academics and lawyers were also detained, including Oda TV editor Ceren Erdoğdu, T24 editor Buse Söğütlü, and members of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD). Opposition figures criticised the crackdown; DEM co‑chair Tuncer Bakırhan said “the country has been turned into a detention centre by using the NATO summit as an excuse,” and CHP deputy Orhan Sarıbal warned that “criticising NATO is not a crime.”
The government says the measures are necessary to protect delegates and maintain public order, while human‑rights groups and opposition parties argue that the actions amount to a de‑facto state of emergency and a suppression of basic freedoms.