04/11/2026 | Writer: Kaos GL
The We Want Freedom Campaign condemned the arrest of 10 trans women in Ankara-led operations and demanded their release, declaring: “We are not obscene; the government's violence is.”
The We Want Freedom Campaign held a press conference on October 31 at the Ankara Branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD). The statement condemned the arrest of 10 trans women during police operations coordinated from Ankara on October 23.
The campaign emphasized that LGBTI+ people had been targeted once again less than a month and a half after the “My Family Is Safe” operations began on September 12.
“Less than a month and a half after the attacks on LGBTI+ people on September 12, the dark anniversary of the military coup, and while we were raising our voices to demand freedom for our imprisoned friends, the government targeted us, the LGBTI+ community, with yet another wave of attacks. On October 23, 10 of our trans women friends were arrested as part of an operation coordinated from Ankara.”
Recalling that the trans women had been arrested on allegations of “obscenity” and “prostitution,” the campaign continued:
“Why? The short answer: Simply because they exist, because they are trying to live a life worthy of human dignity, and because they have to struggle harder than anyone else to earn a living…”
“There is no such crime in the law!”
The statement condemned the use of social media posts as grounds for criminal accusations and criticized the police practice of conducting virtual patrols:
“The long answer: They were arrested on allegations of ‘obscenity’ and ‘prostitution.’ They were arrested as a result of the police's virtual patrol practice, which has now become a form of voyeurism and spying. Yes, the very practice that the Constitutional Court annulled. But when it comes to LGBTI+ people, especially trans women, neither the law nor court rulings seem to carry any weight. Unless they are being used to punish us…”
The campaign also pointed out that the police investigation report had even treated the gender of people viewing trans women's social media posts as a matter for scrutiny:
“As if that were not enough, the police investigation report even considered it significant that the gender of those viewing trans women's social media posts was ‘irrelevant.’ Lengthy comments were made about who communicates with whom and what sexual expectations are being addressed. As though trans women's bodies, gender identities and sexualities were crimes in themselves!”
Emphasizing that trans people's identities cannot be treated as evidence of criminal activity, the statement continued:
“What does any of this have to do with the accusation of ‘prostitution’? Nothing! But when trans people are involved, instead of looking for evidence of a crime, they begin questioning our bodies, identities and very existence. And then they call it ‘gender-neutralization.’ There is no such crime in the law! You cannot judge trans women's existence, sexuality and bodies according to your own moral standards. Our identity is not your evidence of a crime!”
“We are not obscene; the government's violence is”
The campaign stated that accusations of “obscenity” were being used to control the bodies and lives of LGBTI+ people:
“Yet we will not stop reminding you: We are not obscene; the government's violence is. The government attacks us in all its obscenity. It labels us criminals based on how we dress, how much of our bodies are visible, or whose hand we hold! They have taken a ruler in their hands and keep measuring our bodies.”
The statement also emphasized that sex work is not a crime and criticized the accusations of “prostitution”:
“And of course, sex work is not a crime. This is not merely a wish; the law says so, too. Court of Cassation rulings say so as well. Those who walk around with a ruler measuring obscenity are now inventing a crime of ‘prostitution’ as well.”
Drawing attention to trans women's right to work and earn a living, the campaign continued:
“As the LGBTI+ movement, we have always said, and will continue to say: In this unequal, exploitative system, no profession is more honorable than another. You cannot judge trans women this way when you deny them work, food, housing and the right to life. Sex work is work, just like any other form of labor.”
“You cannot imprison us all”
The campaign stated that the 10 arrested trans women were being held in Sincan Prison, where Kaos GL members and other trans women arrested during the September 12 operations were already imprisoned.
The statement read:
“Ten of our trans women friends are in Sincan. The imprisoned Kaos GL members and other trans women arrested during the September 12 operations were already there waiting for them. To those who want to send all of us, one by one, to Sincan or other prisons, we would like to remind them of an unfortunate truth from their perspective: We are at the very heart of this society. We are not few in number, and we are certainly not the ‘marginal minority’ you imagine us to be!”
Emphasizing that the existence of LGBTI+ people cannot be erased through repression and imprisonment, the campaign continued:
“Even if you built new prisons at the speed of light, you would not have the power to imprison us all. Because as long as society exists, as long as humanity exists, we will continue to exist. With every new generation, new LGBTI+ people and trans people will be born. They will want to live as themselves, as they are, and as they wish.”
“Freedom not only for ourselves, but for everyone”
At the end of the statement, the campaign emphasized that its demand for freedom was not limited to LGBTI+ people:
“When we set out with the words ‘Everywhere is a prison, we want freedom,’ we wanted to proclaim a very simple truth: Our response to this system, which turns every aspect of life into a prison for us, is our demand for freedom. Freedom not only for ourselves, but for everyone.”
Tags: human rights, women, media, lgbti
