Turkish authorities and professional groups in Ankara are making detailed preparations for next week’s NATO summit, with measures extending beyond security restrictions to include instructions for taxi drivers on what to wear, how to greet foreign guests and what to offer them in their cars, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported Tuesday.
The 36th NATO summit will be held July 7 and 8 at the presidential complex in Ankara, bringing leaders of the 32-member alliance to Turkey. It will be the second NATO summit hosted by Turkey, with the first held in 2004 in İstanbul.
Mehmet Yiğiner, president of the Turkish Federation of Commercial Drivers and Vehicle Owners (TŞOF), said taxi drivers would play an important role because they are among the first people foreign guests encounter after leaving the airport.
Yiğiner said a “red zone” system would be in place at airports, around the summit venue, along protocol routes and near hotels where delegations will stay.
“Our vehicles will be clean in appearance. Our drivers will wear gray trousers and white shirts,” Yiğiner said, adding that taxis would offer Turkish delight, cologne and cold water to visitors “to introduce Turkish culture.”
Yiğiner said the aim was to make a good impression on visitors, urging taxi drivers to follow instructions from security units, greet foreign guests with a smile and behave professionally.
The taxi arrangements come as Ankara has faced public backlash over measures imposed ahead of the summit, including a 13-day ban on public demonstrations, road closures, administrative leave for some public employees, police raids and restrictions affecting shopkeepers and ordinary residents.
The Ankara Governor’s Office has banned meetings, marches, press statements, hunger strikes, sit-ins, rallies and the distribution of leaflets, brochures, posters and banners across the city from June 28 to July 10, citing summit security and public order.
Authorities have also announced traffic restrictions around the presidential complex, delegation hotels and motorcade routes, while some public employees in Ankara are expected to be on administrative leave during the summit week unless they are assigned to summit duties or critical services.
The measures have prompted criticism from residents, opposition figures and commentators, who say daily life is being disrupted for a two-day diplomatic event and that Ankara is being put into showcase mode for foreign leaders.
Turkish media have also reported instructions to shopkeepers, the removal of stray dogs from routes to be used by delegations and costly beautification work along protocol roads.
The government says the measures are necessary to protect public order and ensure the safety of visiting delegations.