Turkey's increasingly authoritarian grip on public life has reached a fever pitch in the run-up to the NATO summit in Ankara, sparking widespread condemnation from human rights groups. The draconian measures include mass arrests, imprisonment of journalists and comedians, and blanket bans on demonstrations across the capital.
More than 200 individuals have been detained during raids in Ankara last month, coinciding with a pre-existing ban on protests that remains in place until July 10th. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has labelled these actions as evidence of Turkey's "shocking disregard for freedom of speech and assembly," highlighting the disturbing trend of escalating rights violations unfolding amidst the NATO summit.
Comedian Deniz Göktaş, who had been performing stand-up routines criticising President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was arrested upon arrival at Istanbul airport and placed in pre-trial detention. He faces charges of "insulting the president" and "denigrating religious values" following a performance where he referred to Erdoğan as a dictator and made jokes about suicide bombers. The video, recorded on June 1st and released on YouTube on June 24th, has garnered nearly 9 million views.
A separate incident saw authorities in the coastal town of Aydın prevent a cruise ship operated by Atlantis, which specialises in gay-friendly holidays, from docking. The reason cited was that individuals on board were "known for behaviours" that did not align with Turkey's societal and moral values. US actor and singer Patti LuPone had been scheduled to perform on the cruise, publicly stating that the vessel was banned "simply because of who is onboard."
The arrests of two journalists, Buse Söğütlü, international news editor at T24, and Ceren Erdoğdu of OdaTV, have added to the growing list of concerns. The head of the Istanbul branch of the Association of Contemporary Lawyers, Ezgi Onalan, was also detained. These events contribute to a broader pattern of press suppression, with Turkey ranking 163rd out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders' press freedom index this year, accused by the organisation of using "all possible means… to undermine critics."
Ankara's prosecutor's office claims that the late June arrests were aimed at uncovering the actions and activities of terrorist organisations, with those detained alleged to have links to various groups including the Islamic State. However, HRW asserts that no evidence of crimes has been provided for many accused of terrorism. The detainees include a journalist, an LGBTQ+ activist, two lawyers, an academic, and 14 members of an environmental reforestation organisation.
Source: Human Rights Watch, Bianet, Agence France-Presse, Reporters Without Borders