Turkey detains more than 200 suspected extremists before NATO summit

Turkish police and gendarmerie carried out large‑scale raids in the capital Ankara in the weeks leading up to the NATO summit scheduled for 7‑8 July. In a shooting near the town of Sazagaş, a man suspected of links to Daesh was killed and his partner, also suspected, was wounded and arrested. The operations resulted in the detention of over 200 people alleged to have connections with the Islamic State, the far‑left Revolutionary People's Liberation Front and other extremist groups.

Security measures ahead of the summit include bans on public demonstrations, restricted access to roads around the conference venues and hotels, and the cordoning of large areas of the city. Some reports say a politician, an LGBT activist and several lawyers were among those arrested, prompting accusations of arbitrary detentions and concerns over the use of security pretexts to silence critics. The summit is expected to host U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders from NATO’s 32 member states.