Turkish MP Sevilay Çelenk Visits Detained LGBT Activists in Sincan Prison

On October 17–18, 2026, Sevilay Çelenk, a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey from the opposition Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Parti), visited eight activists held at the Sincan Prison complex near Ankara following a widespread police crackdown on Turkish LGBTI+ organizations. According to an op-ed by Çelenk published by the independent Turkish news outlet Bianet, an Ankara court upheld the pre-trial detention of all eight activists during a routine monthly custody review on October 14.

During the visit, Çelenk met with Kaos GL board members Janset Kalan and Umut Derin, independent journalist Tuğba Tekerek, Rainbow Families Association (GALADER) representative Nedime Erdoğan, academic and Academics for Peace signatory Burçin, as well as activists Baran, Metin, and Selin Berghan. According to Çelenk, detained activist Janset Kalan reported experiencing degrading strip searches during her arrest and urged politicians to demonstrate solidarity with the LGBTI+ community rather than succumbing to fear of online harassment. Transgender activist Umut Derin had been kept in solitary confinement for an extended period under the pretext of awaiting medical test results before being moved to a communal ward shortly before the visit.

Journalist Tuğba Tekerek, accused by investigators of administering the Instagram account of Kaos GL—an allegation she firmly denies, citing her professional status as a reporter and a lack of evidence—described severe overcrowding in the women’s facility. She reported that cells designed for 24 people currently hold up to 40 detainees, forcing some to sleep on the floor near sanitation facilities, while prison administrators employ collective disciplinary measures. Activist Burçin drew attention to “prison poverty,” noting that economically disadvantaged inmates struggle to afford drinking water from the canteen, electricity charges, and essential hygiene supplies, creating cycles of material dependency.

Turkish authorities have defended the ongoing legal proceedings on grounds of public morality and social order. Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek stated that the operation launched on September 12 under the name “My Family is Safe” (Ailem Güvende) spanned 15 provinces and aims to protect children, family values, and public order, as well as investigate unauthorized foreign funding received by non-governmental organizations. In contrast, domestic and international human rights organizations have criticized the detentions as an escalating crackdown on independent civil society. Founded in 1994, Kaos GL is one of Turkey’s oldest LGBTI+ advocacy groups, providing legal, psychological, and informational support to vulnerable communities.

Previously, Urania reported on the launch of the ‘We Want Freedom’ campaign by Turkish human rights defenders, the blocking of LGBT organization websites and accounts in Turkey, and the condemnation of mass arrests in Turkey by European religious and civil society figures.