Chair of Turkish LGBT Association '17 May' Defne Güzel Acquitted in 'Public Morality' Case

On May 12, 2026, a court of first instance in Ankara acquitted Defne Güzel, chair of the board of directors of the Turkish LGBT association “17 May”. She was accused of “violating public morality” due to the publication of a translated brochure about intersex people on the organization’s website.

The case against Güzel was opened following a routine inspection by the Turkish Ministry of Interior in 2024. The inspectors’ attention was drawn to the translated brochure My Intersex Story. The prosecution considered that the publication violated the norms of public morality.

During the first hearing, the judges asked Güzel what the term “intersexuality” meant. She explained that it refers to people born with variations in sex characteristics and emphasized the educational purpose of the publication. Güzel also noted that the expert appointed by the prosecutor’s office found no elements of a crime in the brochure.

The prosecutor supported the defense’s position and asked for Güzel’s acquittal, citing the lack of criminal intent and insufficient evidence. Lawyer Oya Aydın called the accusation unfounded, emphasizing that publishing artistic and literary content on a human rights organization’s website cannot be considered a crime.

In her statement, Defne Güzel noted that she was being judged not only as the head of the association but also as a trans woman and a human rights defender. She described the trial as an attack on freedom of association and civil society activities guaranteed by the constitution.

The hearing was attended by representatives of the EU Delegation to Turkey, diplomats from the UK, France, Germany, and other European countries, as well as members of local and international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Kaos GL . Due to limited seating, not everyone who wished to attend was allowed into the courtroom.