Turkey Detains 209 in Security Sweep Ahead of NATO Summit

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued warrants for 241 suspects, targeting alleged affiliates of the Islamic State and several far-left organizations, including DHKP-C, MLKP, and TKP/ML. While official statements linked the raids to counter-terrorism efforts, the timing coincided with a 13-day ban on public gatherings in Ankara, running from June 28 to July 10. The government cited security requirements for the July 7-8 NATO summit, though prosecutors did not explicitly connect the arrests to the international meeting.

Among those taken into custody were journalist and LGBTQ+ activist Yildiz Tar, as well as various lawyers and leftist politicians. The Progressive Lawyers Association confirmed the detention of three of its members. Detainees face a 24-hour restriction on legal counsel, a measure that has drawn sharp criticism from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party. Party representatives labeled the raids a pretext for restricting fundamental freedoms, demanding the immediate release of those held. The group Kaos GL echoed these concerns, noting that Tar, its editor-in-chief, had been scheduled to appear in a separate court proceeding this Wednesday.