Of the 225 people taken into custody during operations carried out ahead of the NATO Summit held in Ankara on 7–8 July, 178 were remanded in custody. Release orders were issued the previous day for some of those arrested, whose detention had drawn public criticism.

A release order was issued for 10 TEMA Foundation volunteers, including TEMA’s Ankara Provincial Representative Nevzat Özer, as well as Umut-Sen Spokesperson Burcu Arıkan.

Also among those released were Hediye Yıldırım, a member of the People’s Houses (Halkevleri) Central Executive Committee; Associate Professor Dr Emel Memiş; and journalist Yıldız Tar. The appeal against Memiş’s detention had been rejected the day before.

Speaking following the release order, TEMA Foundation lawyer Süleyman Çetin said, “No one can erase the suffering experienced by TEMA volunteers during the period they were deprived of their liberty. A mistake has been rectified. We expect the house arrest orders to be lifted as soon as possible.”

ONE IN FIVE STILL INSIDE

Murat Yıldız, a lawyer with the Association of Contemporary Lawyers (ÇHD), noted that Ankara had been turned into an open-air prison ahead of the NATO summit, stating, “They did not march people through the streets. They blocked the entrances to shanty towns. And they did not stop there. At the same time, they broke down doors to arrest those who said ‘No to NATO’ or whom they regarded as opponents, and all were sent for detention. The vast majority were remanded in custody. A very small proportion were released under house arrest. As of yesterday, there have been some releases, but the vast majority remain in prison. One in five,” he said.

‘WHATEVER THE PROSECUTOR SAYS’

Yıldız stated that the aim of these operations was to intimidate society and to attempt to silence those who might say ‘No to NATO’, adding, “There were no charges against them. They were arrested unlawfully and without evidence, in a manner not provided for by law. Now they’re saying, ‘We arrested them before NATO, and now we’re releasing them.’ We can see that this is an arbitrary approach. Once again, they have released certain individuals they had singled out. These were, in fact, the people for whom the prosecutor had requested release. There were also those whose detention was extended; the prosecutor did not request their release. Whatever the prosecutor wants, the magistrate’s court carries it out. There is no fair or lawful arrest or detention here. It is entirely at their whim. A climate of fear is being instilled. “They want no one to speak out or say ‘no’,” he said.

Yıldız, who stated that there were also two members of the ÇHD among those arrested, made the following remarks: “The allegations are that they took part in the Ethem Sarısülük memorial, participated in the ‘No to NATO’ protest, and are members of AKADER, a legal association. There is no other offence, and they have been in custody for a month. These charges demonstrate that the judiciary is not acting independently of politics. We are faced with law enforcement and the judiciary that take their cue from whatever the regime is saying the night before. We have never seen such a hollow case, devoid of any allegations or foundation. They will be acquitted, but they will be left with their freedoms restricted. Subjecting these people to such oppression is not only contrary to the law but also to conscience.”

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Neden tutuklandılar?, published in BirGün newspaper on July 23, 2026.