Ankara Shuts Down LGBT Venue Sixtiees Pub

Authorities in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, shut down Sixtiees Pub on August 21. The venue in the Çankaya district was frequented by LGBT people. The decision followed a criminal investigation and a police raid in July.

According to Bianet , citing the LGBT outlet Kaos GL, the Ankara prosecutor’s office alleges that the pub hosted “entertainment for sexual purposes” and “obscene” acts “contrary to public morality.” Cumhuriyet newspaper reported that the venue was barred from operating over allegations of facilitating prostitution and providing premises for it. No court finding of guilt has been reported.

Investigators said they opened the case after complaints filed through the government’s CİMER portal, statements from people with knowledge of the matter, open-source research, and a review of the venue’s Instagram posts. Police searched the pub and seized materials on July 25. The owner, the responsible manager, and five employees were detained and later remanded in custody under provisions of the Turkish Penal Code concerning obscenity and prostitution. Available reports do not provide details of the suspects’ or their lawyers’ response.

Following the arrests, Turkey’s Human Rights Association (İHD) called for the seven detainees to be released , described pretrial detention as disproportionate, and criticized reports that associated the allegations with LGBT people as a whole. The organization has not published a separate response to the closure decision.