Overview
- Numerous Turkish journalists and opposition outlets including Cumhuriyet, Sözcü and Halk TV reported they were denied accreditation to cover the July 7–8 summit, a development publicized on June 25.
- NATO said it relies on the host country's assessment to grant venue access for local media at summits held outside its Brussels headquarters and that it is in contact with Turkish authorities about the exclusions.
- Turkish police and intelligence services have carried out raids and detentions in the run‑up to the summit, with reporting that more than 200 people were arrested in Ankara and Istanbul and a citywide demonstration ban imposed in Ankara.
- Press‑freedom groups including Reporter ohne Grenzen and Human Rights Watch described the accreditation process as opaque and without appeal and accused Turkish authorities of using anti‑terror laws to silence critics; an opposition lawmaker also alleged the government gave NATO a preselected media list.
- The exclusions and security measures heighten concern that Ankara is curating the summit's public image, a move that could deepen tensions over how NATO balances host‑country control with the alliance's stated commitment to free press and open dissent.