At least 39 people have been detained in Turkey on terrorism charges, including journalists and university professors, in a police operation coinciding with the start of the NATO summit in Ankara.
Turkish authorities have detained 39 people, including journalists, university professors, and leftist activists, in an anti-terror operation that took place across eight provinces in the country. The raid occurred just as Ankara hosts the NATO summit, a meeting that brings together leaders from allied countries.
Operation in eight provinces
The majority of the arrests have been concentrated in Istanbul, where 53 searches have been conducted. Operations have also taken place in Kocaeli, Ankara, Aksaray, Kirklareli, Nigde, Agri, and Izmir. During the searches, police seized a pistol, eight magazines, and a large amount of both physical and digital documentation.
The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation against the detainees for their alleged membership in the Revolutionary Youth Associations. The group DEV YOL, a successor to the historic People's Liberation Front of Turkey (THKP-C), is considered a terrorist organization by the Turkish government.
Authorities have identified 50 suspects through phone taps, financial investigations, and call records. The operation has particularly focused on the youth of the far-left group.
Criticism and denunciations of the arrests
Among those arrested are members of political parties, trade unionists, NGO members, and journalists, including two directors of the T24 and Oda TV portals, according to Halk TV and the Cumhuriyet newspaper. The Turkish Journalists' Association (TGC) and the Progressive Lawyers Association (CHD) have called for the release of the detainees and denounced the operation as an attack on freedom of expression and an act of intimidation ahead of the NATO summit.
Criticism has been swift. Human rights organizations have pointed out that these arrests represent a new setback for press freedom in Turkey, a country that already ranks low in global freedom of expression indexes. For Turkish journalists, the fear of being labelled as terrorists for doing their job is a daily reality that worsens in contexts of high political tension.
In parallel, Turkish authorities have reported the detention of another 28 people allegedly linked to ISIS in Kocaeli province, following a series of similar arrests last week. This indicates that Turkey maintains constant pressure on multiple fronts in its anti-terrorism fight.
Impact on Turkish society
For the average citizen in Turkey, these raids create an atmosphere of uncertainty. The detention of academics and journalists not only affects those directly involved but also instills fear in the academic and media sectors. Those who teach or practice journalism know that any criticism of the government can be interpreted as an act of terrorism.
The coincidence of the operation with the NATO summit is not accidental. Turkey seeks to showcase its security capabilities to its allies, but the cost to freedom of expression and human rights is high. The international community is watching closely, although official reactions so far have been lukewarm.
For now, the detainees remain in police custody awaiting to testify before a judge. More details about the specific charges and evidence presented by the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office are expected to emerge in the coming days.
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