In recent months, a pattern of prosecutions and administrative measures has demonstrated an increasingly hostile environment for individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association. We call upon the Turkish authorities to immediately drop all charges and end legal persecution in the following four cases, which undermine the rule of law and are incompatible with Türkiye’s international human rights obligations.
1. Enes Hocaoğulları
Human rights defender and youth delegate Enes Hocaoğulları — representing youth at the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities — was arrested on 5 August 2025 and detained until September 2025. He faces charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “inciting public hatred and hostility”. His trial resumes on 23 February 2026.
The charges stem from his speech as a youth delegate to the Council of Europe at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in March 2025, where he spoke about police violence against protesters and the government’s crackdown on the LGBTIQ+ community in Türkiye. After the speech went viral, he faced defamation campaigns, threats and prosecution.
This case represents a direct attack on freedom of expression and sends a chilling signal to civil society actors and society in general speaking out against human rights violations.
2. Yıldız Tar
Journalist Yıldız Tar, Editor-in-Chief of the LGBTIQ+ news portal Kaos GL, was taken into custody from their home in Ankara on 18 February 2025 on charges of “membership in an armed organization”, within the scope of the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) investigation. They were detained in Marmara Prison in Silivri for approximately four months before being released on 30 May 2025.
Their next hearing is scheduled for 23 February 2026.
The case is closely linked to Tar’s journalistic work and undermines freedom of expression, the right to organise, and independent reporting on LGBTIQ+ issues.
3. Defne Güzel
Defne Güzel, Chairperson of the Steering Board of the May 17 Association and a trans human rights defender, faces criminal charges related to a book and exhibition catalogue published by the Association that authorities allege are “contrary to public morality”.
Her first hearing is set for 12 May 2026.
These charges appear to target legitimate trans rights advocacy and further restrict civic space for LGBTIQ+ organisations.
4. Dissolution of the Young LGBTI+ Association
On 11 December 2025, the İzmir 3rd Civil Court of First Instance ordered the dissolution of the Young LGBTI+ Association (Genç LGBTİ+ Derneği), founded in 2016 to support LGBTIQ+ youth and raise awareness of their challenges. The decision was based on social media posts from 2019, 2020 and 2022 which were deemed “obscene” and allegedly promoting LGBTIQ+ identities.
In parallel, eleven members of the association’s leadership face criminal prosecution for “establishing an association for prohibited purposes or to commit criminal acts”. The first hearing in this case is scheduled for 8 April 2026.
The dissolution of civil society organisations should be exceptional and must comply with the acceptable restrictions criteria, namely, any restriction must be cumulatively prescribed by law, pursue a legitimate aim, necessary in a democratic society, be proportionate to the aim pursued and not be discriminatory. The dissolution of the Young LGBTI+ Association appears to be incompatible with the strict criteria set out by international human rights norms on freedom of association and expression
Human Rights, Rule of Law and Civic Space Under Pressure
These cases occur amid broader legislative and administrative measures restricting civic space in Türkiye and declining rule of law, including expanded state control over non-profit organisations and growing pressure on independent media.
Türkiye is currently facing a significant socio-political crisis with mass protests erupting in support of human rights and democracy. We are deeply alarmed by the government’s escalating crackdown on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, where protesters have faced excessive police force. Independent media and journalists are also under growing pressure.
As seen in other contexts of democratic backsliding, the LGBTIQ+ community has been among the most targeted groups. Draft legislation aimed at restricting LGBTIQ+ rights has repeatedly been proposed and withdrawn, and recent reports suggest new proposals may be underway, as human rights organizations have reported this week.
We call upon the Turkish Government to without delay:
- Dismiss all charges against Enes Hocaoğulları, Yıldız Tar and Defne Güzel, as well as the eleven individuals charged in connection with the Young LGBTI+ Association;
- End violence, harassment and prosecution of political opposition, journalists, human rights defenders, student activists, LGBTIQ+ persons and protesters;
- Refrain from using dissolution of civil society organisations as a means of political control;
- Fully adhere to Türkiye’s obligations under international human rights law, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
We urge the relevant bodies of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Union, as well as diplomatic and civil society partners, to:
- Demand that the charges in these cases be dropped without delay;
- Raise these cases urgently with the Turkish authorities and the relevant international compliance control mechanisms.
We call on Norway in particular to:
- Raise the cases of Enes Hocaoğulları, Yıldız Tar, Defne Güzel and others detained for defending human rights and democracy in Türkiye with Turkish authorities and international human rights compliance control mechanisms;
- Strengthen support for human rights and civil society organisations in Türkiye, particularly LGBTIQ+ organisations;
- Ensure that protection mechanisms for human rights defenders, including access to Schengen visas, are flexible and responsive to the needs of those at risk.
Human rights defenders in Türkiye are working at remarkable personal cost to safeguard democratic values. The international community must not leave them to stand alone.
Undersigned organizations: