Journalist and author Tuğba Tekerek has been detained as part of a sweeping investigation targeting LGBTI+ organizations and activists, with authorities citing a 2024 article she wrote about LGBTI+ rights in Georgia.
Tekerek was detained overnight in İstanbul and taken to the police morality bureau, where she was questioned over an allegation of "obscenity" under Article 226 of the Turkish Penal Code.
Police raids, online censorship target Turkey’s LGBTI+ community in new crackdown
She was later transferred to Ankara and is being held at Ankara Courthouse, where she is expected to give a statement to prosecutors. The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) is providing her legal representation.
The article cited as grounds for Tekerek's detention was published by Kaos GL on Oct 26, 2024, titled, "Being LGBTI+ in Georgia's election: 'I feel both like a hero and like I'm in a dystopia'."
The Kaos GL Association is one of the groups at the center of the investigation. Its board members were taken into custody in Ankara during the Sep 13 raids.
In the article, Tekerek reported on legislation targeting LGBTI+s in Georgia, anti-LGBTI+ rhetoric used during the election campaign and security concerns faced by Tamar Jakeli, head of Tbilisi Pride.
'This operation declares that the Turkish state considers LGBTI+s criminals for simply existing'
The report also examined the ruling Georgian Dream party's anti-LGBTI+ campaign ahead of the country's general election and legislation titled "Family Values and Protection of Minors."
Jakeli said they had been portrayed during the campaign as one of the symbols of "moral decay" and had taken security precautions because she feared being attacked.
Tekerek's article also reported that LGBTI+ organizations in Georgia were struggling to continue their work amid growing pressure, new legislation and threats of attacks.
Condemnation from union
Following news of her detention, the Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS) condemned what it described as judicial harassment and called for her immediate release.
"A journalist's job is to report the news," the union said. "We do not accept professional activities being turned into grounds for investigations and detention. Without freedom of the press and expression, there can be no professional security for journalists." (HA/VK)
