Close Protection in Ankara, Turkey

Ankara is Turkey’s capital and political centre, home to all government ministries, the Grand National Assembly, the Presidency, foreign embassies, and NATO’s Allied Land Command. It is the primary location for bilateral diplomatic meetings, government-to-government business engagement with Turkey, and visits by officials and executives involved in Turkey’s significant defence, energy, and infrastructure sectors.

Ankara as a political capital: the threat that matters

Ankara’s security environment reflects its function. The terrorism threat is documented and serious: the 2016 car bombing targeting military buses killed 28 people, a second 2016 attack killed 37 at a central bus station, and the December 2016 assassination of Russian ambassador Andrei Karlov at an Ankara art gallery demonstrated that political violence in the capital is specifically linked to Turkey’s diplomatic role. These are not random events – they are attacks shaped by Ankara’s geopolitical function.

The FCDO assesses that terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Turkey. For Ankara specifically, high-profile diplomatic events, visits by senior foreign officials, and periods of elevated regional tension are the moments when the threat picture shifts from persistent to acute. Security planning for visits during these periods should explicitly account for elevated targeting of associated venues and routes.

The counter-intelligence dimension

Ankara’s role as a NATO capital and diplomatic hub creates a counter-intelligence environment that is distinct from Istanbul. MIT, Turkey’s intelligence service, monitors foreign nationals in government, defence, and commercially sensitive sectors. Adversarial state intelligence services are active in the city, given its concentration of diplomatic and NATO-related activity.

For corporate visitors in defence-adjacent sectors, dual-use technology, or sensitive commercial negotiations, this means communications security and document handling discipline are appropriate precautions rather than excessive measures. Device management, encrypted communications, and careful meeting documentation are standard practice for experienced operators in this environment.

The legal environment for foreign nationals

Turkey’s legal framework creates a category of risk that is largely absent from most Western operating environments. Laws on insulting the state, the President, or Turkish national identity carry criminal penalties. Arbitrary detention of foreign nationals, including EU dual citizens, has occurred on charges of terrorism support or espionage. Activities that are unremarkable in Western democracies – journalism, academic research on certain topics, social media commentary – can have legal consequences in Turkey. A pre-travel legal brief is appropriate for first-time visitors in sensitive sectors.

Our operations in Ankara

Our operators hold Turkish security certification under Law No. 5188 and have documented experience in Ankara’s diplomatic and government security environment. We provide close protection, security drivers, and diplomatic security coordination. All assignments include counter-terrorism awareness and specific planning for visits during elevated-threat periods.

For full Turkey context, see our Istanbul city page and the Turkey country overview.

Source: FCDO Turkey travel advisory (April 2026). Ankara bombings, February and March 2016. Russian ambassador Karlov assassination, December 2016. Turkish private security Law No. 5188. OSAC Turkey Country Security Report 2025.