Gökalp, a member of the LGBTI+ commission of the Socialist Party (SOLDEP), was arrested on May 2 in İzmir and sent to prison following a decision by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace.
Her arrest was based on the accusation of “inciting hatred and enmity” by characterizing people who make the nationalist “grey wolf salute” and ultranationalists as terrorists.
Gökalp’s lawyer, Deniz Can Aydın, who also serves as SOLDEP’s chair, called for her immediate release, citing serious health concerns and claims of harassment in prison due to her gender identity.
‘A legal disgrace’
Describing the arrest process, Aydın said, “My client was detained at her home on May 2. The main justification for the arrest was a number of tweets she posted on social media. Asya is a well-known LGBTI+ activist and a socialist, a visible member of SOLDEP. Because of this, she has often been targeted in the past.”
Aydın argued that her detention was a “legal disgrace,” explaining that the relevant law is intended to prevent religious or linguistic hate speech among the public and requires an “imminent and clear danger” for it to apply. “For the arrest to be lawful, the statements in question would have to pose a real and present threat capable of inciting crime. That’s simply not the case here.”
Prison conditions
He also criticized the charge itself, stating, “The idea that people making the wolf salute or identifying as ultranationalist constitute a social class, and that labeling them as terrorists is incitement, is legally absurd. It’s a forced interpretation of the law.”
Aydın raised urgent concerns about Gökalp’s health. “This charge, according to both the Penal Code and the execution law, does not warrant time served. My client has undergone surgery in the past and is still undergoing treatment, which is directly linked to her epilepsy. Since entering prison, she has not been placed in a permanent ward. She’s currently in a temporary cell overcrowded with 16 people in a space designed for 10. Some sleep on the floor. Sanitary conditions are terrible—blocked drains and unhealthy sinks.”
He added that Gökalp had a seizure shortly after arriving at the prison due to lack of access to her medication and the poor environment. She was taken to the hospital, given IV treatment, and her prescriptions were renewed. “They said she would receive her medication that evening, but the seizure she suffered on arrival already revealed the severity of her condition.”
‘Why don’t you have breasts?’
Aydın also pointed to broader political motives behind the arrest, linking it to the government’s declaration of this year as the “Year of the Family.”
“Although the case has a clearly political character, Asya is technically being held on judicial charges—not under anti-terror legislation—so she is detained with others facing ordinary charges,” he said. “Still, some prison staff and inmates have harassed her, asking, ‘Why don’t you have breasts?’, ‘Are you a man or a woman?’, ‘Are you a lesbian?’”
As a result, Aydın said, Gökalp has been subjected to both psychological and physical mistreatment. “She has been arbitrarily detained for a non-custodial offense. The relevant law was applied hastily and without merit. Her health is seriously at risk.”
Aydın added that her arrest reflects an increasingly punitive stance toward LGBTI+ identities under current government policies. “We believe her detention is directly linked to the government’s ‘Family Year’ campaign. The recent policy shifts and proposed legal changes target LGBTI+ existence in a way that borders on authoritarianism.
"Visible LGBTI+ activists like Asya are being singled out for punishment. This is clearly aimed at intimidating the broader LGBTI+ community.
“We demand Asya’s immediate release.” (TY/VK)
