Turkey detains hundreds before NATO summit, faces global criticism

In the weeks leading up to the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7‑8, Turkish authorities arrested and detained hundreds of individuals on terrorism‑related charges. State media reported 178 of 225 suspects were formally arrested, while human‑rights groups identified journalists, academics, lawyers, trade‑unionists, environmental activists and LGBTQ advocates among those taken into custody. Police raids in late June detained up to 225 people, with a court ordering the arrest of 103 suspects and imposing house‑arrest on 26 others.

The detentions have drawn condemnation from NGOs and European politicians, who argue Turkey is using the summit as a pretext to suppress independent media and civil society. Human Rights Watch labelled the raids a “ruthless intolerance” of freedom of speech and assembly, and called on NATO allies to intervene. The NATO summit, expected to host leaders from the alliance’s 32 member states, is also drawing attention for U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned attendance, which he framed as a personal gesture to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Separately, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) listed Turkey among the world’s top ten perpetrators of transnational repression, urging coordinated international action against state‑linked intimidation of critics abroad. The resolution highlighted cases of abductions, surveillance and legal pressure targeting journalists and dissidents, including the high‑profile kidnapping of Turkish‑Kyrgyz educator Orhan İnandı.

The combined domestic crackdown and international rebuke underscore escalating concerns over Turkey’s adherence to democratic norms ahead of the high‑profile NATO gathering.