Ankara gets security clampdown and cosmetic revamp ahead of Nato summit

ANKARA: Turkiye’s capital has undergone a visible clean-up and beautification drive ahead of a Nato summit starting on Tuesday, as authorities prepare to host 32 heads of state including US President Donald Trump.

Along the route from Ankara airport to the city centre, municipal crews have been planting flowers and putting up large billboards that block the view of run-down housing and lower-income districts. The measures are part of a broader effort to present the city more favourably during the high-profile gathering.

The preparations have also brought extensive security arrangements that are expected to disrupt daily life in the city of nearly six million people. Several major roads are due to be closed, a move that will force some shops to shut and complicate travel for residents and business owners. Police officers on horses were also patrolling Ankara’s historic district ahead of the summit.

The restrictions have drawn criticism from locals and opposition politicians. Tuncer Bakirhan criticised the scale of the clampdown, saying the city had effectively been immobilised for official delegations.

“Ankara has practically become an open-air prison … The entire capital has been brought to a standstill to facilitate the movement of a few official motorcades,” said Tuncer.