21/02/2025 | Writer: Kaos GL
Detained on 18 February, KaosGL.org Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar was arrested. Tar said, ‘No one should lose hope, continue the struggle. The liberation of LGBTI+ people will liberate the whole society."
On 18 February, KaosGL.org Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar, who was detained from home in Ankara within the scope of the operation against the Peoples' Democratic Congress, was arrested. Erkin Barın Göylüler, who works in the field of LGBTI+ rights, KaosGL.org writer Ayşe Panuş and journalist Elif Akgül are also among those arrested.
52 people who were detained within the scope of the operation were brought to the courthouse today. 35 people, including Yıldız Tar, were referred to the Criminal Court of Peace with the demand of arrest and 12 people were referred to house arrest.
In Tar's statement, meetings with women's rights defenders and LGBTI+ activists were cited as a criminal offence.
In a message sent through lawyers, Tar said the following:
"Completely unlawful, the non-violent peaceful protests I participated in more than ten years ago are now being cited as a reason for detention. There is no rationalisation. In my police statement, they also tried to criminalise my journalistic activities. Journalism is not a crime. I believe that this operation is closely related to the war on LGBTI+'s declared by the government as the Year of the Family. As we always say, LGBTI+ rights are human rights. Long live life in spite of hate!"
What happened?
Several members of EMEP, SYKP and HDK were detained in house raids in Istanbul 18 February morning. Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office announced that 60 people were detained.
KaosGL.org Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar is among those detained. Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) announced that Tar, who was detained in Ankara, is expected to be taken to Istanbul. It is learnt that Tar is banned to see a lawyer for 24 hours as part of the investigation.
MLSA Legal Unit objected to the confidentiality order, confiscation of digital materials and 24-hour ban on seeing a lawyer after the detention of journalists Yıldız Tar and Elif Akgül.
MLSA made the following post:
"It is learned that journalist Yıldız Tar, who was detained in Ankara as part of the Istanbul based operation, was taken to Ankara TEM. Tar is expected to be brought to Istanbul."
Among those detained are journalists Ercüment Akdeniz and Elif Akgül, artist Pınar Aydınlar, EMEP Istanbul Provincial Chair Sema Barbaros, Green Left Party MYK member Naci Sönmez, DEM Party MYK member Mehmet Saltoğlu Semiha Şahin, SYKP PM members Halit Elçi and Ahmet Saymadi, and ecology rights activist Ümit Şahin.
Kaos GL Association made the following statement:
"As Kaos GL Association, we demand the immediate release of Yıldız Tar.
We emphasise once again that we will resolutely continue our struggle to ensure the safety of journalists and human rights defenders, to prevent attacks from going unpunished and to protect freedom of expression.
It should not be forgotten that the active presence of a free press and civil society guarantees not only the LGBTI+ community but also everyone's access to human rights and the social awareness required for the establishment of justice. A Turkey where the public's right to information is respected and different voices can find equal expression is the common aspiration of all of us."
Tags: human rights, media
