A new report by the Red Umbrella (Kırmızı Şemsiye) Sexual Health and Human Rights Association has documented extensive sexual violence against sex workers in Turkey, highlighting structural barriers that hinder access to justice and protection.
The "Monitoring Report on Sexual Violence Against Sex Workers in Turkey 2025" is based on in-depth interviews with 49 sex workers across six cities: İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Eskişehir, Mersin, and Antep. According to the findings, only five participants said they had never experienced sexual violence, while 44 reported being subjected to such violence at least once.
The forms of abuse described included coercion into condomless sex, threats, physical assaults, abduction, and aggravated sexual assault following confinement.
Perpetrators were most often clients, but some interviewees also identified police officers, healthcare workers, partners, and organized crime groups as perpetrators. The assaults occurred in homes, vehicles, hotel rooms, and isolated areas.
Only seven of the 49 participants reported the violence to official authorities. Most cited a lack of trust in the police or judiciary, and some expressed fear of further discrimination or retaliation. Several respondents said law enforcement officers themselves were responsible for threats and violence against them.
Informal solidarity networks
Most participants said the assaults left them unable to work and led to intense fear, panic attacks, and social isolation. Interviewees described the long-term effects of the trauma as not only physical but also psychological and social.
The report also revealed that most sex workers lacked access to formal support systems and instead relied on informal solidarity networks for survival. Several participants said that even when they reported violence, the perpetrators faced no legal consequences, and the complaint process itself often retraumatized them. Trans sex workers in particular reported avoiding legal processes due to fear of discrimination based on their gender identity.
Red Umbrella called on state institutions to end discriminatory practices against sex workers, ensure effective justice mechanisms, and establish inclusive support systems. (TY/VK)
