The We Want Freedom Campaign responded to the operations with a call to “Stop inventing crimes,” condemning the targeting of trans women on grounds of “gender-neutralization, public morality and obscenity.”
As part of an investigation coordinated from Ankara, 45 people, most of them trans women, were detained in simultaneous police operations carried out across seven provinces this morning. Following the operations, the We Want Freedom Campaign issued a statement condemning the detentions and calling on authorities to “Stop inventing crimes.”
The operations, coordinated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and conducted by the Morality Bureau of the Public Order Branch of the Ankara Provincial Police Department, covered Diyarbakır, Mardin, Çankırı, İstanbul, Bolu and Antalya, in addition to Ankara.
“Gender-neutralization” and “obscenity” cited as grounds
In a statement, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office alleged that the social media posts of those detained contained material that was “contrary to public morality, targeting families, children and young people or harming their development, encouraging gender-neutralization and disrupting public order.” The main accusation against those detained was reported to be “obscenity.”
Lawyers from the Pembe Hayat, Red Umbrella, Kaos GL and ÜniKuir associations are closely monitoring the legal proceedings.
We Want Freedom Campaign: “We are being targeted over non-existent crimes”
Following the wave of detentions, the We Want Freedom Campaign issued a written statement strongly criticizing the grounds cited for the investigation. Referring to the earlier “My Family Is Safe” operations, the campaign stated:
“The phrase ‘encouraging gender-neutralization’ in the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office statement refers to something that has no basis in law. Just as in previous operations, trans women are being directly targeted on grounds that do not actually constitute criminal offences. The accusation of ‘obscenity’ has been turned into an instrument of repression against society as a whole, particularly LGBTI+ people.”
“The virtual patrol practice is unlawful”
The statement also raised concerns that the “virtual patrol” method may have been used during the digital evidence-gathering stage of the investigation.
Referring to the Constitutional Court’s ruling of February 19, 2020, which annulled the legal provision authorizing police to conduct virtual patrols, the campaign emphasized that general online surveillance by police had been found unconstitutional.
The statement stressed that, in accordance with the protection of personal data and the requirements of a democratic society, police may conduct investigations into specific individuals only on the basis of concrete instructions from prosecutors.
Campaign representatives stated that they would continue monitoring developments and demanded the release of those detained, declaring:
“Our trans existence, which they seek to criminalize, is not a crime.”
Full statement of the We Want Freedom Campaign
Trans women targeted in new Ankara-led operation: Stop inventing crimes!
As we continue demanding freedom for our friends imprisoned during the “My Family Is Safe” operations carried out on the dark anniversary of September 12, we woke up today to another operation coordinated from Ankara.
In simultaneous operations coordinated from Ankara and extending to Diyarbakır, Mardin, Çankırı, İstanbul, Bolu and Antalya, 45 people, most of them trans women, were detained.
The language used in the statement issued by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding this operation, which is also being monitored by lawyers from the Pembe Hayat, Red Umbrella, Kaos GL and ÜniKuir associations in Ankara, clearly reveals the intention behind it.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office claimed that the operation, conducted by the Morality Bureau of the Public Order Branch of the Ankara Provincial Police Department, was justified by the social media posts of those detained, alleging that these posts contained material that was “contrary to public morality, targeting families, children and young people or harming their development, encouraging gender-neutralization and disrupting public order.”
The phrase “encouraging gender-neutralization” in this statement refers to a non-existent crime. Just as in the “My Family Is Safe” operation, trans women are being targeted on the basis of an offence that does not exist.
The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office statement makes clear that those detained are being accused of “obscenity,” an allegation that has now become a pretext for repressing and imprisoning society as a whole, particularly LGBTI+ people.
As in previous operations, we suspect that the virtual patrol practice was also used in this operation. However, we would like to remind everyone: The virtual patrol practice is unlawful!
In its ruling dated February 19, 2020, the Constitutional Court annulled the provision granting police the authority to conduct virtual patrols, finding that the provision allowing police to carry out general “virtual patrol” activities online was unconstitutional.
In its ruling, the Court emphasized that the regulation was incompatible with the requirements of a democratic society, that personal data is protected under the Constitution, and that police may conduct investigations into specific individuals only upon instructions from prosecutors.
We will continue reporting developments concerning the operation and demanding freedom…
Our trans existence, which they seek to criminalize, is not a crime! Everywhere is a prison; we want freedom!
We Want Freedom Campaign
