A Wave of Wrongful Prosecutions Washes Over LGBTQI Human Right Defenders in Türkiye: Support Defne, Enes & Yıldız!
A wave of wrongful prosecutions has been washing over LGBTQI human right defenders in Türkiye. As more and more of our siblings face trial for simply speaking out for our rights and defending justice, our support as the international community has never been more crucial.
Support Trans Human Rights Defender Defne Güzel Amidst New Lawsuit
As a result of the Ministry of Interior’s wave of systematic inspection targeting LGBTI+ associations across Türkiye in 2024, a lawsuit has just been filed against trans human rights defender Defne Güzel, Chairperson of May 17 Association’s Steering Board.
The reason? Daphne would have “violated the Law on Associations” with the book titled #MyIntersexStory and the Children, Roe Deer, Flowers, Fires exhibition catalogue published by the association, which were both judged “contrary to public morality” by the prosecution.
As May 17 Association affirmed in a public statement: “This lawsuit is not only directed at Defne Güzel; it targets the visibility of intersex people, academic production, and LGBTI+ rights advocacy. Our rights-based activities-ranging from people living with HIV to elderly LGBTI+ individuals, from climate work to social services-are being criminalised under the guise of ‘morality’.”
Defne is facing one to three years of prison, and risks being stripped of her right to elect and be elected within the civil society sector again. The first hearing of the case will be held on 12 May 2026. We urge you to give visibility to this case and follow May 17 and our local Member Kaos GL to find ways to support Defne.
Join the #FreeEnes Campaign Ahead of Second Hearing
Defne’s case lands amidst a rapidly growing number of other open cases against LGBTQI human rights defenders in Türkiye.
Back in August, Youth rights defender, LGBTI+ activist and staff member of our IGLYO Member ÜniKuir Enes Hocaoğulları was arrested for having delivered a speech at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in which he addressed human rights violations that occurred during the protests of the 19 March period. After spending 35 days in pre-trial detention, he was then released under judicial control while remaining required to sign in once a month.
Enes will attend his second hearing at the Ankara (Sıhhiye) Courthouse on 23 February 2026, where there is a possibility that a final judgment may be delivered. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that we, as the international community, give as much visibility as possible to the hearing through the hashtags #FreeEnes and #FreedomForYouth. Our Members and local organisations also encourage anyone who can to physically attend the hearing.
We’re not going anywhere!
Defne and Enes are not the only human rights defenders currently facing charges; Editor-in-Chief of our IGLYO Member Kaos GL Yıldız Tar will also face their second hearing on 23 February in connection with the People's Democratic Congress (HDK) case file.
All of these cases are blatant attempts to sow fear amidst our communities in Türkiye by silencing our voices and discouraging other human right defenders to follow suit. But we’re not going anywhere!
As Türkiye cracks down on our rights and freedom of speech, we must send a strong signal from across borders that we will not let down our siblings in the country and will keep on fighting for their freedom and the liberation of our communities in Türkiye — and anywhere where our mere existence is being repressed.
