Ankara court remands over 100 including academic, journalist ahead of NATO summit
- Authorities launched a "terrorism" crackdown in Ankara ahead of the NATO summit on Jul 7-8
- Over 200 initially detained included NGO members, students, lawyers, and environmentalists in additon to a journalist and an academic
- The number of arrests may increase as court processings for dozens of suspects continue today
A penal judgeship in Ankara formally arrested 103 people late yesterday on "terrorism-related" charges following mass raids ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in the capital.
A total of 225 people were initially detained in the Jun 23-24 operations, with 26 placed under house arrest and court proceedings continuing for the remaining detainees.
Those remanded in custody include Assoc Prof Emel Memiş, LGBTI+ rights activist and journalist Yıldız Tar, TEMA Foundation Ankara Representative Nevzat Özer, Umut-Sen union spokesperson Burcu Arıkan, and Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) lawyers Semra Demir and Kürşat Bafra.
NATO denies accreditation to Turkey's 'non-pro-government media' for Ankara summit
'They could carry out attacks'
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office did not directly link the investigation to the NATO summit in its initial announcement, claiming that the operations targeted suspected members of ISIS and various Marxist armed organizations.
In its formal request for arrest following interrogations, the prosecutor's office said it evaluated that the suspects could "carry out terrorist acts in an effort to portray the Republic of Turkey as a country associated with terrorism."
The court ruled to arrest the 103 individuals on the grounds that "concrete evidence showed a strong suspicion of crime" and the minimum and maximum legal penalties posed a flight risk. It also cited incomplete evidence in the file and the nature of the alleged crimes, concluding that alternative judicial control measures would be insufficient.
'You are doing this for Trump'
Some of those arrested criticized the decisions, with one saying "You are doing this for Trump, do not do it. He turned the Middle East into a bloodbath," and another, "You are causing suffering to citizens just because NATO members are coming," as reported by ANKA news agency.
Hospital appointments reduced in Ankara 'for NATO summit,' doctors say
During the prosecutorial interrogations, suspects were questioned about their membership in unions, associations, or political parties, and their participation in demonstrations, including April-May protests by mining workers. They were also asked whether they were members of a specified "terrorist" organization, used code names, had received weapons training, or had relatives within the respective organization.
Professor worked with AKP accused of being a Marxist militant
Associate Professor Emel Memiş, a faculty member at the Ankara University Department of Economics, is among those who face charges of being a member of the Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist-Leninist (TKP/ML), an outlawed militant group.
Memiş denied the allegations, citing her previous work for various state institutions and the ruling party:
"I have absolutely no connection or affiliation with the TKP/ML terrorist organization. I am a scientist. I have provided training on budgeting and aging to over 350 public officials from the Interior Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the SBB [Presidency Strategy and Budget Directorate], and the AK Party Women's Branches.
"All of these accusations are groundless. These are very heavy accusations for me. I am a person who works for my state and my nation."
Summit preparations
A series of measures have been announced ahead of the summit scheduled for Jul 7–8 at the Presidential Complex in Ankara with the participation of leaders from 32 countries.
Around 40,000 security personnel will be on duty during the summit, during which many streets will face traffic restrictions. Access to the summit venue and the areas where leaders will stay is completely prohibited.
In addition, the roads along the convoy routes have been lined with billboards featuring NATO and Turkish defense industry themes, and the facades of the houses along the route have been painted.
The measures drew public criticism for restricting citizens' access to roads and putting up a superficial display for foreign leaders.
(VK)
