Sarya Toprak
Across the country, women and LGBTI+ people continue their protests against the Draft 11th Judicial Package, which includes phrases such as “contrary to public morality” and “failure to act in accordance with biological sex assigned at birth”. On Sunday, demonstrations took place in many cities. In İstanbul, at the protest banned by the district governor’s office, Sol Feminist Hareket (Left Feminist Movement) members Asya Nur Ağca and Yelda Güler were violently detained without justification. Ağca and Güler spent the night in custody and were released under judicial control after giving statements at Kartal Courthouse the following day. Following the ban on the protest, women and LGBTI+ people gathered in Beşiktaş and made a press statement that read in summary:
“We will not allow any of the rights we have won through our struggles to be taken away. We will stand together against the 11th Judicial Package.”
Asya Nur Ağca, one of those detained, told BirGün about her experience. Stating that they were detained without cause, Ağca said, “Before the protest even started, we were surrounded by police. The police opened a corridor to let us out of the blockade.” She added, “As we stood outside the cordon, the police said ‘step back’. We said we’re already outside, where should we go, and then they said ‘then come here’ and dragged us along the ground to detain us.”
After being released, Ağca said they went to the hospital. “My ankle was injured because I was dragged on the ground during detention. We will not bow to repression. The 11th Judicial Package must not pass through Parliament,” she said.
Meanwhile, protests in Ankara also went ahead despite heavy police intervention. During the protest, Sol Feminist Hareket member Deniz Kara’s finger was broken and one person was detained. Police trying to block the march also attempted to stop journalists from recording. The detained person was released after giving a statement. Women and LGBTI+ people overcame all obstacles and marched from Kolej Metro to Sakarya, where they read their press statement. Key points included: “This law is not only an attack on our bodies and identities, but also on our hope for a peaceful, equal and free life together! The government, under the pretext of the so-called ‘Year of the Family’, has been trying for years to silence and suppress us. But we are here! Our bodies, our lives, are ours! No passage!”
THEY BROKE HER FINGER
Speaking to BirGün, Deniz Kara said, “I was holding an LGBTI+ flag. The police tried to grab the flag and used brutal force. My finger was broken.”
Kara stated she would need surgery. “After the operation my finger will be in a cast for a while. Despite everything, we will continue to fight to prevent the Draft 11th Judicial Package from passing through Parliament,” she said. Demonstrations were also held in İzmir, Fethiye, Bodrum and Dersim.
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MEN OUT OF CONTROL
Men emboldened by a government that targets women’s rights are killing at least one woman every day. The latest example came from Mudurnu district in Bolu. Thirty-five-year-old Engin Baltaş murdered his wife, 29-year-old Hilal Baltaş, mother of three. After the killing, Baltaş posted on social media admitting to the murder, writing, “Friends, I committed murder today.”
The incident occurred yesterday morning in Karamurat village of Taşkesti town. After shooting Hilal Baltaş following an argument, Engin Baltaş went to the gendarmerie station and surrendered. Their three children, a six-month-old boy and two girls aged three and eleven, were placed under protection by the Bolu Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Hep birlikte engelleyelim, published in BirGün newspaper on October 28, 2025.
