NATO summit rights violation report from lawyers: 'At least 668 detained, 179 arrested'

The "July 7-8 NATO Summit Rights Violations Report," which reveals the balance sheet of extraordinary security measures, protest bans, and police interventions implemented during the NATO Summit held in Ankara on July 7-8, has been published. In the report prepared by Lawyers for Justice, it was stated that at least 668 people were detained and 179 people were arrested across Turkey, emphasizing that constitutional rights were restricted and the principle of proportionality was exceeded.

A WAVE OF "PROTEST BANS" CITY BY CITY

The report stated that the comprehensive ban decisions declared in many cities for security reasons prior to the NATO Summit completely prevented the exercise of democratic rights beyond just protests:

Ankara: By the decision of the Governor's Office, all kinds of actions and events in the city were banned for 13 days.

Eskişehir, Karabük, Adana, and Konya: Similar ban decisions were implemented in these cities for a period of 10 days.  

Elazığ: The ban decision remained in effect for 14 days. 

According to the data in the report, the picture that emerged with judicial processes and street interventions took shape as follows:

Within the scope of an investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, 225 people were detained in a major operation carried out before the summit (June 23). Of these individuals referred to the courthouse, 179 were arrested, 34 were placed under house arrest as a judicial control measure, and 6 were released.

On July 5, more than 150 people were detained on the streets during anti-NATO protests held in Ankara, Istanbul, İzmir, Adana, Samsun, and Çanakkale. In house raids conducted on the same day, 39 more people, including lawyers, students, and political party representatives, were taken to the police station.

In the investigation in İzmir, 61 people were detained, 74 were detained during the summit protests held in Ankara on July 7, and 12 people were detained during the protest in Beyoğlu, Istanbul.

REVERSE HANDCUFFS, MISTREATMENT, AND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS  

In the lawyers' report, rights violations experienced during detention processes and restrictions on urban life were also examined.

It was stated that individuals detained during the protest in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, were subjected to reverse handcuffs, and allegations of mistreatment in some detentions were recorded by the lawyers.

It was noted that restrictions were imposed on air traffic around Esenboğa Airport and many main arteries were closed to transportation. It was recorded that these practices directly affected not only the summit delegations but also daily life and working life.

"PRINCIPLE OF PROPORTIONALITY EXCEEDED"  

In the conclusion section of the report, it was assessed that the security measures taken during the NATO Summit process exceeded the principle of proportionality. The report emphasized that numerous fundamental rights were violated, primarily the right to personal liberty and security, the right to assembly and demonstration, freedom of travel, and the right to a fair trial and defense.