Prosecutors in İstanbul have dismissed an investigation into model and activist Melisa Aydınalp, who faced accusations of public indecency and promoting obscene content following a protest against a government’s childbirth policies.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office determined that there was no legal basis to pursue charges against Aydınalp, who staged a performance and shared it on social media on Jun 13 to criticize policies encouraging "normal birth." During the protest, she declared: "What is normal is not vaginal birth, but a life for women without violence."
Her statement and footage of the protest were submitted as evidence after a complaint was filed. However, the prosecutor’s office concluded that the act did not meet the legal definition of public indecency, citing established precedents from the Court of Cassation's 4th Penal Chamber.
The decision noted that Aydınalp had been detained for one day and that all evidence, including video recordings, had been reviewed. The investigation found no grounds for the charges of insult or indecency, stating that the legal elements required to substantiate these offenses were not present.
Prosecutors also clarified that, according to the law and judicial precedents, public indecency entails acts such as engaging in or simulating sexual activity or exposing private body parts in a way intended to offend public decency. It emphasized that none of Aydınalp’s actions fit these criteria.
'I'll continue to protest'
Following the ruling, Aydınalp told bianet, “I keep facing lawsuits simply for exercising my constitutional rights, protesting for women’s rights, and criticizing government policies. This is a clear policy of intimidation. They are trying to silence and exhaust me by targeting my activism.
“Despite no arrest warrant, police raided my home that day. I will file a criminal complaint over this unlawful conduct.”
“Despite all the pressure, I will continue to fight for women’s rights and to protest under any circumstances."
Background
🔴 Manken aktivist Melisa Aydınalp gözaltına alındı
— bianet (@bianet_org) June 15, 2025
👉 İktidarın kadınlara yönelik politikalarını eleştirdiği eylemleriyle tanınan Aydınalp, "teşhircilik" ile suçlanıyor.
🗞️ Tuğçe Yılmaz'ın haberihttps://t.co/FoPz5y18A6 pic.twitter.com/k5ORN9LS2v
On Jun 13, Aydınalp staged a protest against the government's promotion of vaginal birth, declaring that "a life for women without violence" should be the norm instead.
The next morning, on Jun 14, she was detained by police at her home in İstanbul and taken to the Şişli District Police Department's Public Security Unit, where she spent the night in custody.
She was later investigated under Article 225 of the Turkish Penal Code for public indecency. Authorities also imposed a travel ban and required her to regularly sign in at a police station as part of judicial control measures. (TY/VK)
