ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkish authorities arrested two journalists on Sunday as security measures intensified ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8, according to their media organizations.
Authorities closed major roads in the Turkish capital and deployed police officers across the city before the summit, which leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to attend.
Online newspaper T24 reported that authorities detained its international news editor, Buse Sogutlu, while OdaTV said police also arrested its journalist, Ceren Erdogdu. The media outlets did not specify the reasons for the arrests.
Sogutlu’s lawyer, Erman Ozturk, told AFP that he believes the detention is linked to the upcoming NATO summit.
Erol Onderoglu, Turkey representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), criticized what he described as “indiscriminate, arbitrary, and chaotic operations” launched before the summit, saying they threaten journalists’ safety and reputation.
Daily newspaper Cumhuriyet reported that authorities arrested dozens of people on Sunday but did not specify the reason.
The Association of Contemporary Lawyers (CHD) said authorities also detained Ezgi Onalan, head of its Istanbul branch.
Last month, Human Rights Watch said Turkish authorities arrested about 200 people before the summit, including political activists, lawyers, an academic and a journalist who is an LGBT rights activist. The organization said prosecutors stated that the arrests aimed to prevent the activities of terrorist organizations.
Authorities also banned public demonstrations until after the summit. The Communist Party of Turkey (HKP) said police arrested 19 of its protesters in Ankara on Sunday.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, criticized the crackdown in a post on X.
“It is not the existence of protests that damages a country’s reputation, but rather the suppression of the right to demonstrate democratically,” Kilicdaroglu wrote, addressing President Recep Tayyip Erdoga.