NATO Summit Kicks Off in Ankara as Turkey’s Own Crisis Boils Over: Bridge Tolls Jump 534%, School Lunch Funds Missing

The 36th NATO Summit begins in Ankara with a new goal: European members are expected to carry most of the alliance’s weight, moving away from U.S. dominance [191020]. But as world leaders focus on security, Turkish opposition figures and European city networks are demanding attention be paid to the country’s own rule-of-law crisis.

Özgür Özel, a top opposition politician, highlighted the government’s skewed priorities by comparing two recent price hikes. While the minimum pension was raised by 213 percent, the fee for crossing a major bridge surged by 534 percent. “This table is a summary of the government’s priorities,” Özel said [190990]. The economic disparity is compounded by a funding shortage for school meals, even as NATO budgets rise, according to the Chamber of Food Engineers in Turkey [189897].

Three major European city networks representing hundreds of local governments have issued a joint appeal. They urged leaders in Ankara to turn their attention to Silivri prison on the outskirts of Istanbul, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is currently detained. “While capitals remain silent, cities are speaking,” İmamoğlu said [191018]. The networks called for concerns over fair trial rights and the rule of law.

Separately, a Turkish opposition lawmaker visited individuals detained during protests linked to NATO exercises. CHP deputy Utku Çakırözer alleged authorities labeled them “potential protesters” in official records. Lawyer Semra Demir, from the Contemporary Lawyers Association, stated that inmates in the prison are being denied access to newspapers and radio broadcasts [191010].

Meanwhile, the exact number of NATO military facilities in Turkey remains undisclosed for security reasons, though the alliance officially operates four main bases [190984].