A wave of arrests of journalists and activists took place in Turkey ahead of the NATO summit
This was reported by *European Truth*.
Raids took place in several cities
Searches and arrests took place in Ankara, Istanbul and several other provinces. According to the agency, law enforcement officers targeted representatives of left-wing political forces, socialist movements, trade unions and civil society organisations.
Among those detained were two editors of the Turkish online publications T24 and Oda TV, both of which are known for their criticism of the current government.
Journalists reported being subjected to pressure
The Turkish Journalists’ Association (TGC) and the Association of Progressive Lawyers (CHD) have called on the authorities to release those detained. In their view, the actions of the security forces pose a threat to freedom of expression and may be an attempt to step up pressure on opposition-minded civil society figures in the run-up to an international summit.
The authorities cite the fight against extremism
Meanwhile, in the province of Kocaeli, law enforcement officials reported the detention of 28 people suspected of having links to militants from the ‘Islamic State’ group and members of left-wing extremist organisations. According to the authorities, ammunition and digital media containing banned material were seized during the searches.
The opposition links the operations to the NATO summit
The latest arrests are the latest in a series of special operations carried out by Turkish security forces in recent days.
Critics of the authorities believe that such actions are aimed not only at combating terrorism, but also at preventing protests and stifling dissent ahead of the NATO summit. At the same time, the Turkish government insists that all raids are being carried out exclusively as part of counter-terrorism investigations.
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