Along the highway from the airport in Ankara to the city center, municipal workers have been planting flowers and putting up billboards that block views of crumbling houses and low-income neighborhoods.
Ahead of a NATO summit scheduled to begin Tuesday, the Turkish capital has been given a facelift to improve its image for the leaders of 32 member states expected to arrive, among them US President Donald Trump.
But the makeover and security measures, which will close several roads and force shops to suspend business, are expected to disrupt life for residents and business owners in the city of nearly 6 million people, prompting criticism from locals and opposition politicians.
“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 Bakırhan, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).
“There’s even talk of closing parks so a president can go jogging there. Residents are being treated like unwanted guests in their own city,” he added, referring to rumors, which authorities have denied, that several parks in the capital would be closed to accommodate French President Emmanuel Macron’s morning jogs.
$235 million facelift
The preparations for the two-day summit, including the renovation of a military airport and the construction of roads, have cost about 11 billion Turkish lira, more than $235 million, Turkish media reports said.
Authorities have presented the projects as long-term investments meant to improve the capital’s infrastructure.
“It’s our money that’s being squandered. They’re not spending it on us or the poor neighborhoods hidden behind these billboards, but on the presidents of other countries,” said Ümit Orkan, manager of a convenience store whose entrance has been blocked by billboards promoting the summit and Ankara’s tourist attractions.
“We shopkeepers are in a very difficult situation. Customers can no longer come in. We’re forced to close for a week,” he said.
“I have seven employees, insurance and rent to pay. But there’s no compensation to make up for the loss of income.”
Florist Kadir Kokuş said sales have fallen since the billboards were put up late last month.
“Our business depends on visibility. Customers stop when they see our plants. These signs have reduced our sales by 95 percent,” he told Agence France-Presse.
“There’s nothing we can do about it. We’ll just have to put up with it for 10 days,” he said.
Tidying up the taxi drivers
The Turkish Taxi Drivers’ Federation has seized on the summit as a chance to improve its image, recommending that drivers wear gray trousers and white shirts as part of a campaign to welcome visitors.
“We will offer our guests water, Turkish delight and cologne to demonstrate Turkish hospitality,” said federation President Mehmet Yiğiner.
For the first time, the city also has its own mounted police unit. Workers have filled potholes, and manhole covers have been laid flush with the pavement.
The measures have prompted jokes on social media, where some users said the only thing left to do was bring the sea to Ankara.
Some suggested beauty salons would begin offering “NATO treatments,” while others joked that the summit could give rise to a new expression: “Nowadays, if you go out of your way to welcome your guests, people will say you’re hosting NATO.”
“All this effort is great, but I wish it had been for us and not for NATO,” said Cem Özbek, who owns a bakery and cafe near a road that will be closed for the summit.
Although the road closures were announced in advance, alternative routes have not been made clear, he said.
“Our customers, employees and suppliers will have a hard time getting here. Small businesses are really going to suffer.”
Many residents have decided to leave, with outbound planes and trains fully booked as the summit approaches.
“I don’t plan on staying in the city. A lot of places will be closed, and public transportation will be disrupted,” said Demir Balemir, a university graduate.
“All this window dressing isn’t for us,” said Sima, echoing a joke that went viral on social media: “If Macron could take public transport, maybe we’d finally have air conditioning on the buses.”
© Agence France-Presse