Turkey Bans Gatherings and Deploys Tens of Thousands of Police for NATO Summit in Ankara

Turkey is deploying tens of thousands of police, placing air defenses on high alert, and banning public gatherings in Ankara for the NATO summit scheduled for July 7–8. Authorities have imposed strict access limits on main roads, airports, the presidential complex, and hotels hosting delegations.

Non-essential state employees have been placed on leave, and demonstrations, concerts, and graduation ceremonies are prohibited during the meeting.

Security units have detained more than 200 people suspected of links to extremist groups, including the Islamic State group. A Turkish court blocked access to websites critical of NATO and the summit on security and public order grounds, and several journalists from opposition-leaning media organizations were denied accreditation.

Turkey converted a former military airfield into a new VIP airport to receive alliance leaders.

Officials said the facility will remain restricted to VIP use after the summit. Facades of houses along the route from the airport were painted as part of a city beautification effort. Turkey has the alliance’s second-largest army after the United States and has been a NATO member since 1952.

-led F-35 program in 2019 and previously delayed Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership until it secured concessions on counter-terrorism cooperation. Turkey also blocked the appointments of two NATO secretaries general until other demands were met. It later brokered a 2022 deal to ship grain across the Black Sea between Ukraine and Russia.

Ankara has hosted alliance missile-defense systems after four Iranian missiles were intercepted over Turkish territory during recent conflict. Italy and Germany deployed additional air-defense units weeks before the summit. “Turkey wishes to distinguish itself as a foreign policy actor that is independent of NATO and the West,” wrote Hamish Kinnear, principal Middle East and North Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft.