Turkiye has jailed 178 people on terrorism-related charges ahead of the 36th NATO summit in Ankara, state media reported on Saturday, citing the prosecutor’s office. The detentions follow a series of anti-terror raids this week in the run-up to the July 7-8 summit, which is expected to be attended by 32 leaders including US President Donald Trump.
Details of the Arrests
State-run Anadolu news agency reported that 178 of 225 suspects taken into custody were formally arrested, according to a statement from the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office. It said 34 others were released under judicial supervision. The arrests were made during operations targeting suspected terrorist groups ahead of the high-profile NATO meeting.
Civil Society and Journalists Among Detainees
The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), a legal rights group, said on Friday that those detained included journalists, academics, lawyers, trade unionists, teachers, students and civil society representatives. Among those placed in pre-trial detention were Yildiz Tar, editor-in-chief of LGBTQ-focused journal Kaos GL; Ankara University academic Emel Memis; and Nevzat Ozer of the TEMA Foundation, a leading environmental NGO, along with several of its volunteers.
Questioning of Environmental Activists
MLSA stated that during police questioning, environmental volunteers were asked whether they were members of the banned Communist Party of Turkiye/Marxist-Leninist (TKP/ML), whether they used code names, and whether they had received armed training. The arrests have raised concerns about the scope of anti-terror operations targeting civil society groups.
Summit Context
The 36th NATO summit, to be held in Ankara on July 7-8, 2026, is a key diplomatic event with leaders from member nations expected to discuss security issues. The spike in arrests comes as Turkiye tightens security measures in the capital ahead of the gathering.
