Turkey's deployed tens of thousands of police and placed air defenses on high alert for the upcoming NATO summit, but the security measures have sparked concern over their impact on freedom of expression and assembly. Authorities banned public gatherings, demonstrations, concerts, and even graduation ceremonies during the summit, while a Turkish court blocked access to websites critical of NATO on security grounds. Several journalists from opposition-leaning media organizations were denied accreditation to cover the event.
Leaders from all 32 member states are expected to convene in Ankara on July 7-8, including U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump's threats to withdraw from NATO and reduce U.S. troop levels have cast uncertainty over the alliance's future. The summit comes as NATO members address questions over defense spending and the U.S.'s evolving role, with the main agenda centering on unity after Trump criticized allies for failing to support the U.S.-led war on Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Civil Liberties Under Pressure
Strict access restrictions will be imposed on several of Ankara's main arteries, around airports, the presidential complex where the summit will be held, and around hotels hosting the delegations, severely disrupting life in the city of nearly 6 million. Security units have detained more than 200 people suspected of links to extremist groups, including the Islamic State group. Media reports said several activists, lawyers and an academic were caught up in the sweep.
Namik Tan, a former Turkish ambassador and legislator from Turkey's main opposition party, wrote, "In the history of the organization, we have never witnessed security measures as stringent and suffocating in a host city for a summit as we are seeing this time in Ankara." The website Engelli Web, which tracks websites banned in Turkey, reported that the court blocked access to sites critical of NATO and the summit on security and public order grounds.
Turkey's Balancing Act
Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952 and has the alliance's second-largest army after the United States, a fast-growing defense industry and a strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, the Black Sea and the Caucasus. But it's often acted independently, frustrating allies by refusing to participate in sanctions on Russia, engaging in disputes with Greece, and purchasing Russian missile defense systems, a move that led to its expulsion from the U.S.-led F-35 program in 2019.
Turkey also delayed Finland and Sweden's NATO membership until it secured concessions on counter-terrorism cooperation and the lifting of arms export restrictions, and blocked the appointments of NATO chiefs Anders Fogh Rassmussen in 2009 and Mark Rutte in 2024 until other demands were met. Ankara has been frustrated with its NATO allies, particularly over what it saw as the alliance's lack of solidarity during a failed coup attempt in 2016 and the arms sales restrictions imposed on Turkey after its intervention in Syria.
Fatih Ceylan, a former Turkish ambassador to NATO and security analyst at the Ankara Policy Center, said, "The important aspect of the meeting is to what extent the rift between the United States and Europe can be healed or narrowed during the summit," and added, "We should not expect miracles, but nonetheless if there is a convergence of ideas emphasizing the importance of NATO, that should be seen as a success."
Show of Strength and Control
Turkey unveiled a new VIP airport, converted from a former military airfield, specifically to host NATO leaders. The new Ankara Airport is expected to remain a VIP airport after the summit and is not expected to serve the general public, officials have said. Facades of houses along the route from the new airport have been painted over as part of city beautification efforts, the newspaper Cumhuriyet reported.
Turkey's role as host seems to have helped win an appearance by Trump, who has a close rapport with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump said, "Well, except for the fact that it was being held in Turkey by President Erdogan, I don't think I would have gone to it," after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.
More recently, Turkey has leaned closer to NATO, whose importance was underscored during the Iran war when alliance missile defenses intercepted four missiles fired from Iran into Turkish territory. Weeks before the summit, Italy and Germany deployed air defense systems to help Turkey respond to heightened threats. Hamish Kinnear, principal Middle East and North Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, wrote, "Turkey wishes to distinguish itself as a foreign policy actor that is independent of NATO and the West," and added, "While Turkey is not abandoning its balancing approach, it is tilting closer to the West, primarily because of NATO."
Personal trainer Selin Karakoc said she breathed a sigh of relief after she was told that her wedding on July 5 falls just before the start of the restrictions. "Ours could be one of the last weddings in Ankara that week," she joked.
Why This Matters:
The unprecedented security lockdown in Ankara raises serious questions about the balance between legitimate security concerns and the protection of fundamental democratic freedoms. When a NATO summit—ostensibly celebrating democratic values and collective security—requires the suppression of public assembly, media access, and online criticism, it reveals tensions between security imperatives and the civil liberties that democratic alliances are meant to defend. The detention of activists, lawyers, and academics alongside suspected extremists, and the denial of press credentials to opposition journalists, suggests that security measures can become tools for broader political control. For a city of nearly 6 million residents facing severe disruptions to daily life, the summit's costs are borne disproportionately by ordinary citizens. As NATO grapples with internal divisions and questions about its future, the summit's host city offers a stark reminder that the strength of democratic alliances ultimately depends on their commitment to the rights and freedoms of the people they're meant to protect.