Turkish authorities have arrested at least 209 people ahead of the 7-8 July NATO summit in Ankara in what Human Rights Watch described on Thursday as a crackdown on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
The rights group said police carried out overnight raids between 22 and 23 June, detaining political activists, lawyers, an academic and a journalist known for LGBT rights advocacy.
The Ankara prosecutor’s office said the arrests were part of an investigation to uncover the activities of terrorist organizations, alleging links between those detained and revolutionary leftist groups as well as Islamic State. It did not provide details of the alleged offences.
Human Rights Watch urged the authorities to release those detained immediately, saying the arrests reflected a misuse of counterterrorism laws to silence critics ahead of the NATO summit.
Authorities also imposed a ban on public gatherings, demonstrations, leaflet distribution and banner displays in Ankara from 28 June to 10 July, citing security and public order concerns related to the summit.
The detainees were initially barred from meeting their lawyers for 24 hours, the rights group said. It remained unclear how many would face formal charges or be held in pretrial detention.
Turkish media reported that one man suspected of links to Islamic State was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police while officers attempted to arrest him. Human Rights Watch called for an independent investigation into the circumstances of the death.
The group said the arrests come amid broader concerns over restrictions on political opposition, media freedom and civil liberties in Türkiye. It cited the removal of the leadership of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) by court order, the detention and prosecution of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and the imprisonment of at least 21 journalists and media workers.
Human Rights Watch also said Turkish authorities had recently blocked several X accounts belonging to LGBT and women’s rights organisations ahead of Pride month activities.
The Turkish government has not publicly linked the arrests to the NATO summit, and Reuters could not independently verify the allegations made by Human Rights Watch.
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