In a Daily Mail opinion column, Peter Hitchens attacks the decision to hold a Nato summit in Ankara, arguing that it is absurd and insulting for the alliance to gather in the capital of what he describes as an aggressive despotism. He contends that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is effectively a twin of Vladimir Putin, and that Nato's willingness to host him there exposes a deep contradiction in an alliance that claims to defend democracy and freedom while opposing Moscow.

Hitchens supports his case by pointing to Erdogan's suppression of the press and opposition, noting Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey 163rd of 180 on its press freedom index, with around 90 per cent of national media under government control. He cites the jailing of Istanbul mayor and likely 2028 presidential challenger Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption and espionage charges, Turkish troops stationed in Northern Cyprus, Erdogan's purchase of Russian military equipment, and his lavish new presidential palace. Hitchens concludes by questioning what Nato actually stands for, recalling that it previously admitted dictatorships such as Salazar's Portugal and the Greek colonels, and noting the US effectively controls entry while no mechanism exists to expel a member.