Turkey detains 209 in anti-terror raids as security tightened ahead of NATO summit

ANKARA, June 23 - Turkish authorities detained 209 people in anti-terrorism operations on Tuesday, prosecutors said, a day after Ankara imposed restrictions on public gatherings ahead of next month's NATO summit.

Opposition groups said the raids were part of what they called a broader crackdown on democracy and civic freedoms in Turkey.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said arrest warrants had been issued for 241 suspects under investigations into several militant organisations, including Islamic State and the far-left DHKP-C, MLKP and TKP/ML groups.

It said 209 suspects had been detained and efforts to locate the remaining suspects were underway.

The prosecutor's office and the Justice Ministry were not immediately available for comment.

The operations came a day after the Ankara Governor's Office announced a 13-day ban on demonstrations, press conferences, and other public gatherings from June 28 to July 10, citing security concerns related to the July 7-8 NATO summit.

Prosecutors said in a statement the operation was part of efforts to uncover militant group activities. It did not mention the NATO summit.

Among those detained were journalist and LGBTQ+ rights activist Yildiz Tar, leftist politicians and several lawyers, according to rights group statements. The Progressive Lawyers Association said three of its members were detained.

Authorities have not detailed the allegations against individual suspects. Rights groups said detainees were subject to a 24-hour restriction on access to lawyers.

The pro-Kurdish DEM Party condemned the operation, saying more than 200 politicians, activists and representatives of democratic organisations had been detained in early-morning house raids.

"NATO summit preparations are being used as a pretext to restrict democratic politics and fundamental freedoms," the party said in a statement, calling for the immediate release of those detained.

LGBTQ+ rights group Kaos GL also linked the detentions to restrictions imposed ahead of the summit. Tar, its editor-in-chief, was due to appear in court on Wednesday in a separate case. REUTERS