Turkey releases detained academic Emel Memiş after NATO summit crackdown

Ahead of the NATO Leaders' Summit in Ankara on July 8‑9, Turkish police conducted raids that detained 225 people, including activists, journalists and academic Dr. Emel Memiş. Following judicial review, a court ordered the release of seven detainees—six women volunteers from the TEMA Foundation and Memiş, a former army intelligence officer.

The Eskişehir Emek ve Demokrasi Platformu, which staged a NATO‑critical protest on July 7, said 35 of its members were forcibly detained. The group filed a complaint with the Chief Prosecutor and announced plans to challenge the administrative fine imposed for the demonstration, arguing that the governor’s decree banning the gathering violated the constitution.