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By Arzu Geybullayeva
More than a hundred men working in Turkey’s arts and entertainment industry, including photographers, musicians, actors, comedians and publishers, have been accused of sexual harassment and assault in recent weeks.
As women and LGBTQ+ people take to social media to share stories of abuse, their testimonies — widely compared to the global #MeToo movement — have shaken Turkey’s cultural scene, implicating high-profile figures and prompting several institutions to cut ties with accused individuals.
It all began with a group of women sharing their experiences with male photographers who they say coerced them into taking nude photographs, and then shared the intimate images without their consent. These photographers allegedly used their influence and power to harass and physically assault several women.
Other women, from various cultural, arts and entertainment spaces, soon came forward as well; in fact, new stories keep coming even as this article was being written.
One of the prominent accusations involves Gökhan Özoğuz, the lead singer of Athena, a Turkish ska-punk band. In her testimony shared on X, a woman said that after tagging Özoğuz in a concert selfie, he allegedly messaged her asking for nude photos and invited her to his hotel.
While she didn't take him up on the offer, the fact that it was even made goes against local cultural norms, as Özoğuz was married at the time and has children.
See Also: One in 8 girls and women raped or sexually assaulted before age 18, UNICEF says
Meanwhile, multiple women accused comedian Mesut Süre of harassment and attempted sexual assault over the course of a decade. Following the revelations, the producers of his hit YouTube show “İlişki Testi” (“Relationship Test”) said they would no longer work with him.
In a post shared on the show’s Instagram account, the producers expressed solidarity with the victims, promising to dedicate their page to more unheard stories.
At Oda Tiyatrosu, an İstanbul-based theater collective, fingers were pointed at one unnamed director for exploiting young actors through coercive “undressed auditions.” Acknowledging that it had received complaints about unethical audition and rehearsal practices, the Actors’ Union of Turkey urged victims to report any boundary violations.
The cultural press has not been spared. For instance, there have been complaints against Kültigin Kağan Akbulut, founder and editor-in-chief of the online magazine Argonotlar, for both unwanted physical contact and verbal harassment. In a rare admission, the publication confirmed that Akbulut did not deny the allegations and announced he would step down.
In the case of filmmaker Selim Evci, the streaming service Mubi Turkey removed his films, while the art center Akbank Sanat severed ties with his company ahead of its annual short film festival. Evci is being accused of physically assaulting a woman during her internship interview seven years ago.
Even as testimonies continue to be shared, thus far, no charges have been laid and there is no information being released regarding what the next course of action will be.
In some cases, men who have been named in testimonies have had projects pulled as some organizations opt to no longer work with them. In others, men like Evci have taken the women to court for targeting them. For his part, actor Tayanc Ayaydin rejected the accusations, saying that while what he did may have been thoughtless, it should not qualify as harassment.
In Turkey, for an investigation to be initiated in relation to a crime, the victim must generally file a complaint within six months of the incident taking place — but, as is often the case with this type of abuse, many of the acts identified in these testimonies happened well outside this timeframe.
The legal process itself is also exhausting, putting the burden of proof on the victim, who who must provide all the evidence. According to a recent DW article, Ministry of Justice statistics show that — compared to other crimes — conviction rates for sexual assault and harassment are low: “A significant portion of cases are acquitted or dismissed, reinforcing the perception among victims that crimes go unpunished.” As a result, public scrutiny and exposure often work better than the legal system.
In a statement, the actors’ union described the testimonies as “a cycle where actors feel isolated, powerless, and often forced into silence.” Assuring the victims that they are not alone, it added that breaking the cycle requires solidarity and collective action.
Reflecting on the broader significance of the testimonies, veteran editor Evrim Kepenek wrote about the frequency with which perpetrators are exonerated, usually on the grounds that victims did not speak up sooner. She went on to explain, “One of the main reasons survivors speak up late is that they freeze in the moment of harassment or abuse, meaning their defense mechanisms shut down.” Quoting a tweet by sociologist Zeynep Duygu, Kepenek further underscored the reasons for delayed testimonies:
Delayed disclosure isn’t a contradiction; it is the result of trauma, power dynamics and social pressure. Trauma silences the victim, the perpetrator’s power makes speaking impossible, and society's accusatory language deepens the silence. The delay does not diminish the reality of the violence; on the contrary, it reveals the pressures under which the victim was silenced. The time for disclosure, however, is related to the victim's safety, social conditions, and the support network. Therefore, every disclosure, regardless of when it is made, is essential and expresses the truth.
Commenting on the recent revelations, writer Sema Kaygusuz posted:
To those questioning the prolonged silence of women who have been subjected to harassment, sexual assault, and aggravated sexual assault, I have a few words. These crimes exploit silence. Unlike murder, theft, or robbery, which are momentary; the destruction they cause lasts for years. It makes you sick, destroys self-worth. Due to its unprovability, it turns into a dark narrative that is constantly repeated; searched for inconsistencies.
Kaygusuz’ and countless other social media posts were shared under the hashtag #susmabitsin (speak up to end) which is also the name of an initiative started in 2018 by a group of women in Turkey's film industry.
In its post on Instagram, Susma Bitsin joined the conversation with the following statement:
We embrace all women and LGBTQ+ individuals who have found the courage to confront their perpetrators in solidarity. We know there are many other survivors who don't yet feel ready to speak out, we believe them, and we remind them that we are here for them all. We are all too familiar with the camera's objectifying gaze on women's and LGBTQ+ individuals within our industry. We know these men who manipulate models/actresses in the blurry creative landscape that comes with the profession of photography; we know this system. We know the names of those of you who think you've never been exposed. Feminist solidarity will not leave you alone, so that those of you who find courage in the absence of sanctions will pay the price.
A group of writers and authors also issued a statement in solidarity:
We, as writers, have not forgotten the perpetrators of harassment in the past. Regardless of their sector, we will not forget the perpetrators of harassment who have been exposed today, those who protected them, and those who targeted those who exposed them. We stand with women and LGBTQ+ survivors of harassment and abuse of power. Because literature keeps records of social memory.
Whether these testimonies will change the existing environment in Turkey remains to be seen. According to the We Will Stop Femicides platform, a record 394 women were killed by men in 2024, the highest annual total since they began tracking in 2010. In the first six months of 2025, the site has documented 136 cases of murdered women and 145 cases of women who died under suspicious circumstances.
In an interview with BBC Turkish, Gülsüm Kav, the We Will Stop Femicides spokesperson, revealed that, unlike previous waves of testimonies, this time the tides have changed. Rather than isolated stories, everyone is more united: “We are seeing more institutions standing with women. We are seeing a collective awareness in the society about the violence against women. This is a positive development.”
However, there are many hurdles in place. In 2021, Turkey officially withdrew from the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention — a treaty widely regarded as life-saving for victims of domestic violence. Lawyer Ceren Kalay Eken told BBC Turkish that women who seek justice often face legal barriers. “They are expected to provide serious evidence,” Eken explained, “and in this process, women trying to demand their rights are further worn out.”
Adding that perpetrators of these crimes are often men positioned within the family, in close circles or at work, Eken said that it takes a lot of strength and time to expose the wrongdoing: “I have seen women ready to file a complaint 30 years after they faced violence.”
Every year, scores of women take to the streets across the country on March 8, International Women’s Day, to condemn the structural impunity that remains in place when it comes to crimes against women. This year, women demanded an end to violence and criticized authorities for imposing a family-first narrative via the “Year of the Family” campaign, which aims to instill more traditional societal values where much of the burden is placed on women's shoulders.
For decades, women in Turkey have been marching in solidarity with one another, calling for change and demanding rights and freedoms. Could this be the tipping point? In the context of both Turkey's current leadership and the broader society's track record of looking the other way, the chances may be slim. [GlobalVoices/VS]
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