Erdoğan tightens grip ahead of NATO summit, drawing criticism

Turkish authorities have arrested hundreds of people and banned protests in the lead-up to the NATO summit scheduled to be held in Ankara. These actions have drawn criticism from campaigners who accuse President Erdoğan of using the summit as a pretext to intensify a crackdown on civil society and press freedom. The denial of accreditation to several independent media outlets for the summit has been condemned by journalism groups in Turkey, who describe the move as an affront to media freedoms. NATO has indicated that it depends on host countries to make decisions regarding accreditation for such events. Officials from NATO and the European Parliament have expressed concern over the escalating crackdown on freedoms in Turkey.