Activist arrests surge in Turkey ahead of key NATO summit
Key takeaways
- Protesters are clearly unwelcome ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
- The high-profile meeting is taking place amid international tensions, fueled in part by statements against the trans-Atlantic security alliance by US President Donald Trump.
- Still, the summit is particularly important for Turkey as it has NATO's second-largest military and plays a central role on its southeastern flank.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Protesters are clearly unwelcome ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. Amid a strict ban on public gatherings, 225 activists have already been arrested.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GLWZActivists staged a protest in front of Trump Towers in Istanbul on Saturday, carrying a banner speaking out against NATO and US President Donald Trump Image: IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire Advertisement The Turkish capital, Ankara, is busy preparing for the NATO summit on July 7 and 8. The high-profile meeting is taking place amid international tensions, fueled in part by statements against the trans-Atlantic security alliance by US President Donald Trump.
Still, the summit is particularly important for Turkey as it has NATO's second-largest military and plays a central role on its southeastern flank. It also is the first visit by a sitting US president to Turkey in 17 years, after Barack Obama in 2009.