Turkey host Nato summit in shadow of crackdown

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Turkey has launched a sweeping crackdown ahead of hosting Nato’s annual summit, which starts today. More than 200 people have been arrested, including a comedian accused of “insulting the president”. There is also a ban on demonstrations until 10 July, and social media accounts belonging to activists have been blocked. This sort of repression meant Turkey was once seen as Nato’s problem child. The alliance’s members were also uneasy about its support for the Muslim Brotherhood and cosy relationship with Vladimir Putin. But in an era of global upheaval it is increasingly seen as a crucial partner. Turkey maintains the alliance’s second-largest army, controls access to the Black Sea and has growing influence in the Middle East. It also has a burgeoning defence industry that churns out drones and artillery shells.