The crackdown, which includes both municipal employees and affiliated private sector representatives, has sparked intense public debate over whether women's representation and political participation in local governments are being criminalized.
Since March 19, the investigations have extended beyond internal İBB departments to private sector actors linked to the municipality. Those detained include individuals in high-ranking and diverse roles such as department heads, protocol officers, media executives, and public order officials.
List of detained women
- Arzu Can – İBB Public Relations Officer
- Ceyda Kıryak – Event Coordinator at Medya AŞ
- Çağla Demir – Employee at Kültür AŞ
- Elçin Karaoğlu – İBB Boğaziçi Zoning Director
- Elif Güven – Public Relations Manager at Medya AŞ
- Fatoş Ayık – Procurement and Tender Manager at Medya AŞ
- Fatoş Pınar Türker – General Manager of Medya AŞ
- İpek Elif Atayman – Former General Manager of Medya AŞ
- Kadriye Kasapoğlu – Chief of Protocol
- Nazan Başelli – İBB Anatolian Side Zabıta (Municipal Police) Chief
- Nezahat Kurt – Businessperson
- Oya Tekin – Mayor of Seyhan
- Özge Arıoğlu – Executive Board Member at Yapı Merkezi Holding
- Serap Karay – İBB Public Relations Branch Manager
- Serpil Altıntaş – ASOY Construction
Claims of mistreatment
Among the detained, İpek Elif Atayman revealed that she was transferred from Silivri to Afyon Prison before Eid al-Adha, where she faced inhumane conditions. She was allegedly kept in solitary confinement for 72 days and transported handcuffed for 7.5 hours in a one-square-meter closed space. Upon arrival in Afyon, she reported being forced to sleep on the floor.
Similarly, Elçin Karaoğlu was transferred to Karatepe Prison in Tekirdağ. However, there has been no information shared about the current locations of Elif Güven and Fatoş Pınar Türker.
Public reactions and solidarity
The arrests have sparked strong reactions on social media, with thousands of users posting messages of support under the hashtag #KadınlaraÖzgürlük ("freedom for women"). Women’s rights organizations, civil society groups, and opposition figures have condemned the apparent targeting of women for their political engagement, stating it undermines gender representation in Turkey.
Open letter from Dilek İmamoğlu
Ekrem İmamoğlu’s wife, Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu, addressed an open letter to Emine Erdoğan, First Lady of Turkey, ahead of the holiday. She highlighted the emotional and physical toll on detained women, emphasizing how they have been separated from their children and families and how the situation "wounds the conscience" of the nation.
This wave of arrests is viewed not only as a legal issue but also as a broader commentary on women’s rights and the suppression of political opposition through judicial means.
(NÖ/EY/EMK/DT)
