Preparations in Ankara ahead of NATO Summit on the opposition's agenda

Security and aesthetic measures taken in Ankara ahead of the 36th NATO Summit, which will be held in the city on July 7-8, have sparked public debate. İYİ Party TBMM Group Deputy Chairman Turhan Çömez, in a press conference he held at the Parliament, criticized the preparation processes and argued that the government is acting far from transparently.

Addressing the accreditation issues reflected in the press, Çömez said, "The matter is not directly related to us. Because information and requests regarding the accreditation of press members come from the relevant country. That is, it clearly pointed to Turkey. Unfortunately, the statements coming from the government side here did not reflect the truth. It means that the accreditation crisis and the embargo applied to the press were shaped by demands that came from the government again," reacting to the denial of accreditation to some media organizations.

Stating that demonstrations and marches in Ankara have been restricted within the scope of the summit, Çömez noted that all kinds of collective actions, including the hunger strike carried out by teachers, have been blocked by the Governor's Office decisions. Noting that protests are possible at similar summits in Europe, Çömez expressed that the constitutional right to hold meetings and demonstration marches is being violated.

REACTION TO CITY AESTHETIC ARRANGEMENTS

Çömez also drew attention to the decoration and camouflage work carried out across the capital for the meeting. Claiming that giant billboards and barriers have been erected so that shanty houses and poverty are not visible on the streets of Ankara, Çömez also criticized the restriction of the daily lives of children and disabled individuals.

Claiming that special areas have been created for foreign guests in hospitals and that places have been reserved in intensive care units, Çömez stated that priority is not given to the basic needs of citizens. He also alleged that attempts were made to block some content on social media.

Çömez also criticized the cleaning practices in the city, the closure of daycare centers, and the phone calls made to the families of university students, reacting with the words, "What era are you living in?"

SUMMIT-SPECIFIC EXPENDITURES AND THE TRANSPARENCY PROBLEM

Stating that a total of 12 billion lira has been spent and that the justification for this amount has not been explained to the public, Çömez said that authorities should provide information to the public about the expenditures made, tender processes, and the source of funds.

Emphasizing that 181 million lira was spent on billboards and panels in the city, and that the area where dinosaur models are located was closed before foreign delegations arrived, Çömez asked the question, "Why is the 800 million dollar dinosaur investment being hidden today, why is it being refrained from being displayed to guests, not the public?"

Çömez expressed his criticism regarding the covering of the dinosaur models with the words, "Show the dinosaurs to Trump. You paid a world of money... Or were you afraid that he would see these rotten dinosaurs, the monsters there, and Macron wouldn't be able to run?"

OSTENTATION THAT DRAWS REACTION: "INSTEAD OF SHOWING HORSES WITH CURLERS..."

Reacting to the display of horses on the streets of Ankara in a manner modeled after the British Royal Family, Çömez criticized the practice with these words:

"You are wrapping curlers on the manes of horses on the streets of Ankara in the evening. You are giving them highlights. Then you show these horses to the people on the streets. Show your disgraces, your scandals. Take the visiting guests to the shanty neighborhoods there. Show that hunger, that misery. Instead of showing horses with curlers."

Claiming that warnings were issued to businesses in Ankara not to print posters and placards against NATO, Çömez argued that there is no example of such a practice in any other country in the world, and that democratic rights should not be restricted.

Opposition representatives emphasized that interventions in the daily lives of citizens under the pretext of summit preparations and the massive expenditures should be explained transparently, stating that these measures in the city are not in accordance with democratic principles.

News Source: 12punto