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Several Turkish media organisations have criticised the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Thursday after they were denied accreditation to cover a summit scheduled for July 7 and 8 in Ankara.
The affected outlets, including Cumhuriyet, Halk TV and independent news platform T24, are known for their critical coverage of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government.
The media organisations expressed anger over the decision after receiving notices that their accreditation requests had been rejected.
The notices did not provide any reason for the denial and stated that the decision was final.
Responding to the criticism, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said the alliance follows a long-standing accreditation process that involves consultation with the host country.
“For summits and ministerial meetings held outside NATO headquarters, NATO relies on the host nation to provide assessments on journalists from their country,” Hart said in a post on X.
Hart added that NATO was in contact with Turkish authorities regarding the issue and stressed that it is important for media organisations to attend major events in person.
However, the explanation prompted further criticism from journalists and media rights groups, who questioned why independent Turkish media outlets were excluded.
The Turkish Journalists’ Association described the move as unacceptable, arguing that it goes against NATO’s stated commitment to democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.
Media rights advocates also warned that the decision could further weaken press freedom in Turkey, where journalists and independent news organisations have faced increasing restrictions in recent years.
According to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, Turkey ranks 163rd out of 180 countries on its World Press Freedom Index.
