Billboards, cologne and flowers: Turkish capital gets NATO makeover

ANKARA – Along the highway from Ankara airport to the city centre, municipal workers have been planting flowers and installing giant billboards to shield views of dilapidated homes and poorer neighbourhoods.

Ahead of a high-stakes NATO summit that begins July 7, the Turkish capital has had a facelift to burnish its image for the 32 heads of state who will fly in, among them US President Donald Trump.

But the makeover and the strict security measures put in place – which will shut down several major roads, forcing shops to close – will make life difficult for residents and business owners in this city of nearly six million people, drawing sharp criticism from locals and opposition politicians.

“Ankara has practically become an open-air prison... The entire capital has been brought to a standstill to facilitate the movement of a few official motorcades,” said Tuncer Bakirhan, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish opposition party DEM.

“There’s even talk of closing parks so a president can go jogging there! Residents are being treated like unwanted guests in their own city,” he added, making reference to the rumours – which have been denied – that several parks in the capital were to be closed, supposedly to accommodate French President Emmanuel Macron’s morning jogs.

The extensive preparations for the two-day summit – which included renovation of a military airport and building new roads – have not come cheap, costing around 11 billion Turkish lira (S$303 million) Turkish media reports said.

The authorities have presented such projects as long-term investments aimed at modernising the capital’s infrastructure.

“It’s our money that’s being squandered. They’re not spending it on us or the poor neighbourhoods hidden behind these boards, but on the presidents of other countries,” fumed Umit Orkan, manager of a convenience store whose entrance has been blocked by giant billboards promoting the summit and Ankara’s tourist attractions.

“We shopkeepers are in a very difficult situation. Customers can no longer come in. We’re forced to close for a week,” he complained.

“I have seven employees, insurance and rent to pay. But there is no compensation to make up for the loss of income.”

And he’s not the only one, with florist Kadir Kokus saying sales had been badly hit since the boards were erected late June.

“Our business depends on visibility. Customers stop when they see our plants. These signs have reduced our sales by 95 per cent,” he told AFP.

“There’s nothing we can do about it... We’ll just have to put up with it for 10 days,” he sighed.

The Turkish Taxi Drivers’ Federation has pounced on the opportunity to step up their game, suggesting its drivers observe a dress code of grey trousers and white shirt as part of an all-out charm offensive for visitors.

“We will offer our guests water, Turkish Delight (a local sweet) and cologne to demonstrate Turkish hospitality,” said Federation president Mehmet Yiginer.

For the first time, the city has also got its own detachment of mounted police officers, workers have filled in the potholes and manhole covers have finally been laid flush with the surrounding pavement.

The extensive measures have sparked a flood of jokes on social media where some users said the only thing left to do was bring the sea to Ankara.

Some suggested beauty salons will start offering clients “NATO treatments” while others suggesting it could become a new idiom: “Nowadays, if you go out of your way to welcome your guests, people will say you’re hosting NATO.”

“All this effort is great, but I wish it had been for us and not for NATO,” sighed Cem Ozbek, who owns a bakery and cafe near a main road that is being closed for the summit.

Although the road closures were known in advance, alternative ways of travelling have not been made clear, he said.

“Our customers, employees and suppliers will have a hard time getting here. Small businesses are going to suffer greatly.”

Many residents have simply decided to leave, with outgoing planes and trains fully booked as the summit approaches.

“I don’t plan on staying in the city: a lot of places will be closed, and public transportation will be disrupted,” said Demir Balemir, a university graduate.

“All this window dressing isn’t for us,” lamented Sima, echoing a joke that went viral on social media: “If Macron could take public transport, maybe we’d finally have air conditioning on the buses!” AFP