Turkish media organizations and journalists voiced significant frustration this Thursday after learning they were denied accreditation to report on the NATO summit, which is scheduled to take place in Ankara next month. The event, set for July 7 and 8, will feature representatives from all 32 NATO member states, with US President Donald Trump also expected to participate.
The media entities targeted by the exclusion include the T24 website, Sozcu TV, Halk TV, and the Cumhuriyet newspaper, among others. These particular outlets are frequently critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP). Historically, such organizations have aligned with secular and left-leaning perspectives, similar to those championed by the opposition Republican People’s Party and its founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Regarding the controversy, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart stated on X that the alliance remains in communication with Turkish authorities to discuss the accreditation process. Hart emphasized that for NATO, the ability of the media to attend major events in person is a matter of high importance. However, her remarks did little to appease the confusion among Turkish journalists, many of whom remain perplexed by the denial.
Press freedom groups have labeled the exclusion as an alarming development. The Turkish Journalists Association issued a statement declaring that rejecting a large number of media applications is deeply concerning for press freedom. They further argued that by making this decision, NATO has effectively undermined the principles of individual freedom, democracy, and the rule of law that are clearly emphasized within its own founding treaty. To date, the Turkish government has offered no official comment regarding the refusal of media credentials.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of ongoing challenges for the press in Turkey, which currently sits at 163 out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. Pressure on the media has intensified significantly since the 2013 Gezi Park protests and the failed coup attempt in 2016. Turkey has been a formal member of the NATO alliance since 1952.
