Thirty-nine people, including journalists, have been detained as part of operations carried out ahead of the NATO summit

In simultaneous operations carried out across the country ahead of the NATO summit, due to take place in Ankara on 7–8 July, 39 people – including T24 foreign news editor Buse Söğütlü, Nihaplus reporter Abbas Vural and Oda TV editor Ceren Erdoğdu – were detained during the weekend.

In a statement issued on 5 July regarding the operations targeting the Revolutionary Youth Associations, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office stated the following:

“At approximately 04:30 on 5 July 2026, operations were carried out in our province and 53 other provinces, as well as in Aksaray (1), Kırklareli 1, Kocaeli 3, Ankara 2, Niğde 1, Ağrı 1 and İzmir 1 – a total of 63 addresses – resulting in the arrest of 39 suspects. During the searches, one blank-firing pistol and eight rounds of ammunition for the pistol, 11 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition, and a large number of organizational documents and digital materials were seized; our investigations into the suspects who remain at large are continuing."

Visitation restrictions imposed

Buse Söğütlü, T24’s foreign news editor, and Ceren Erdoğdu, an editor at Oda TV, were taken into custody from their homes in Istanbul, whilst Nihaplus reporter Abbas Vural was taken into custody from his home in Kocaeli.

It was reported that Vural, who was taken into custody in Kocaeli, had his door broken down by Counter-Terrorism (TEM) units and special operations police officers, and was beaten before being taken into custody. Vural’s lawyer, Elif Yetigin, stated that a 24-hour ban on visits had been imposed on the case. Lawyer Yetigin added that they had also lodged an objection to the ban on visits.

Erman Öztürk, the lawyer for Söğütlü, also noted that a 24-hour ban on visits had been imposed, stating, “We believe the detentions are linked to the NATO summit.”

According to a report on Odatv, no official information has yet been provided to editor Ceren Erdoğdu regarding the grounds for her detention. It has been learnt that Erdoğdu most recently authored a report titled “Muslims opposed to the AKP call for withdrawal from NATO: Signature campaign ahead of the summit.”

The Turkish Journalists’ Association (TGC), DİSK Press-Labor and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued separate statements condemning the detention of the journalists as an infringement of press and freedom of expression. The press organizations called for the journalists to be released immediately.

A 13-day ban on demonstrations had been imposed in Ankara on 22 June due to the NATO summit. The following day, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for 241 people on the grounds of “links to terrorist organizations”, and 225 people were detained. Yıldız Tar, Editor-in-Chief of Kaos GL, was also taken into custody during an operation carried out in the early hours of 23 June at his home in Ankara. Tar sent to prison on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” on 25 June.