NATO allies avoid publicly criticising Turkey’s human rights record as security priorities overshadow concerns before the alliance summit.
NATO allies have largely stopped publicly criticising Turkey’s human rights record, shifting their focus to security cooperation as Ankara’s strategic importance to the alliance grows ahead of this week’s NATO summit.
The change marks a sharp contrast with 2021, when 10 Western ambassadors, including those from the United States, France, Germany and Canada, called for the release of jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala, prompting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to threaten their expulsion.
The diplomatic crisis was defused after the ambassadors issued conciliatory statements and Erdogan said they would be more careful in future.
Since then, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western governments have largely refrained from publicly raising concerns about democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Turkey, choosing instead to strengthen defence ties with the NATO ally.
The issue is expected to remain largely absent when leaders of NATO’s 32 member states gather in Ankara on 7 and 8 July.
According to Western and Turkish diplomats involved in preparations for the summit, leaders are not expected to publicly criticise Turkey’s widening legal crackdown on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), including the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s main political rival and the party’s presidential candidate.
Critics argue the West’s relative silence has emboldened Ankara’s increasingly authoritarian approach while weakening support for Turkey’s democratic institutions.
David Satterfield, a former US ambassador to Turkey, said it remained important for Western governments to continue speaking out.
“It remains important for the West to continue to comment on the degradation of democratic institutions in Turkey because the course is not irrevocably set.”
“It’s important that Turks hear others talking about their system in this way.”
Erdogan’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Kavala has spent nearly nine years in prison and faces a life sentence for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government, accusations he denies.
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Kavala should be released, saying there was insufficient evidence against him and that his detention was intended to silence him.
Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) rejects accusations that Turkey’s judiciary is politically influenced, insisting the courts operate independently.
The opposition CHP says hundreds of its elected officials and members have been jailed over the past two years in what it describes as a politically motivated judicial campaign.
Human rights groups have also raised concerns ahead of the NATO summit after Turkish authorities denied accreditation to dozens of journalists from independent media organisations and detained more than 200 people, citing security concerns.
NATO said accreditation decisions are guided by the host country, while stressing that it is important for journalists to attend the summit in person.
Western diplomats said many governments now prefer to raise concerns privately with Turkish officials, arguing that public criticism has done little to influence Ankara’s policies.
The summit will also mark President Donald Trump’s first visit to Turkey since returning to office.
Trump is expected to hold bilateral talks with Erdogan, whom he has repeatedly described as a friend, reflecting what analysts say are the strongest US-Turkey relations in years.
Turkey hopes the summit will reinforce alliance unity and expand defence industry cooperation, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte saying agreements worth tens of billions of dollars are expected to be announced.
Turkey’s growing importance within NATO stems from its position on the alliance’s south-eastern flank, its status as NATO’s second-largest military and its emergence as a major exporter of armed drones.
Analysts say those strategic considerations have increasingly outweighed concerns about Turkey’s democratic record.
Karol Wasilewski, head of Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia at the Warsaw-based Centre for Eastern Studies, said Western governments now appeared to prioritise security cooperation over democratic values.