The 36th Leaders’ Summit of the imperialist military organisation NATO took place in Ankara on 7–8 July. The summit focused on issues such as the sharing of responsibilities and burdens within the alliance—the subject of the US’s greatest complaints—as well as new and ongoing conflicts, particularly the Russia–Ukraine war, and forthcoming defence agreements. The government, however, viewed the summit as one of the most important elements in its quest for “legitimacy”. Trump spoke in glowing terms of Erdoğan, who had met him at the airport and remained by his side throughout the summit, saying, “He is doing a great job." Meanwhile, hundreds of citizens defending the country’s independence against imperialism are being unlawfully detained in prison.

The pro-government media, which presented the summit as a victory for the regime, praised Erdoğan and NATO effusively. Headlines in pro-government outlets included phrases such as “The key to peace lies with Erdoğan”, “The centre of diplomacy”, “Türkiye is the winner of the summit” and “Türkiye is the only solution”. Pro-government outlets, united in the view that Erdoğan is the one who gets on well with Trump, engaged in extensive propaganda in favour of Trump and NATO.

CHINA AND RUSSIA EXPRESSED DISAPPROVAL

The final communiqué issued following the summit drew criticism from Russia and China. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the US assessment—that Ukraine’s attacks on Russian territory would bring the war to an end—was incorrect. Peskov also noted that the declaration of a potential no-fly zone over Ukraine would mean NATO becoming directly involved in the conflict. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mariya Zakharova also emphasised that NATO was focused on militarising the European continent, increasing its defence capabilities and preparing for armed conflict with Russia.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that NATO must “abandon its Cold War mentality”. Reminding that NATO is a regional defence alliance, Mao said, “It must stop constantly accusing China. China does not threaten any country and does not pose any threat to Euro-Atlantic security.”

HYPOTHETICAL OPERATIONS

Meanwhile, international human rights organisations have issued a joint statement regarding the NATO detentions in Türkiye. More than 30 international human rights organisations have condemned the detention and arrest operations carried out in connection with the NATO Summit held in Türkiye. The organisations highlighted that the actions were being treated as criminal offences “based on assumptions before any acts had even taken place” and raised concerns about human rights violations.

The organisations stated that the detentions and arrests were based not on a committed offence, but on the assumption that “actions might be taken in the future”. It was argued that this approach to preventive detention violates the presumption of innocence, the principle of legality and the foundations of the rule of law. Lawyers announced that the right to a defence had effectively been suspended due to secrecy orders imposed on the case files and 24-hour bans on meetings with lawyers. It was emphasised that the targeting of hundreds of people—including lawyers, academics and journalists—simply on the suspicion of being linked to anti-NATO statements and actions constituted unacceptable pressure on freedom of expression.

ARRESTSS CONTINUE

For days now, citizens across the country who have stood up for the people’s will for independence have faced the full force of the judiciary. Of the 43 people detained in Istanbul ahead of the summit, 25 – including Ezgi Önalan, Chair of the Istanbul Branch of the Turkish Human Rights Association (ÇHD), and members of the DGD – were remanded in custody. Eighteen others were released under judicial supervision. In Bursa, three of the 12 people detained and brought before the court were remanded in custody. Nine were released subject to judicial supervision.

In Izmir, arrest warrants were issued for three people, whilst 58 were released subject to judicial supervision. In Antalya, arrest warrants were issued for two people, whilst four were sentenced to house arrest. On 5 July, 131 members of the Communist Party of Türkiye (TKP) who had been detained during the anti-NATO protest in Ankara were released. Thirteen people referred to the magistrates’ court were released on bail.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Meşruiyeti aldı görevlere hazır, published in BirGün newspaper on July 10, 2026.