Model and activist Melisa Aydınalp was taken into custody on June 14 when police arrived at her home in İstanbul.
Aydınalp was brought to the Şişli District Police Department’s Security Branch Office, where she spent the night.
She was being investigated under Article 225 of the Turkish Penal Code for “indecent exposure” and was referred to the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan today.
The court imposed judicial control measures on Aydınalp, including a travel ban and a requirement to regularly go and give signature at a police station.
Aydınalp had previously been tried on the same charge due to a similar protest, won the case, was acquitted, and awarded compensation by the state.
“They came to my house without an arrest warrant”
Speaking to bianet, Aydınalp described her experience during the detention process:
“First, I tried to understand why they came to my home to detain me, but no one explained anything. Then I called my lawyer. The police told my lawyer that the detention was related to my latest protest. It was a protest criticizing the government’s ‘normal birth’ policies. Then we got into the car, and my phone was confiscated. I asked again to see the detention order, but they wouldn’t show it to me.
“When we arrived at the Security Branch, it became clear there was no detention order. In other words, when they came to my house, they had no legal basis. My lawyer reacted, asking, ‘If there’s no order, can we leave?’ A police officer laughed and said, ‘Just wait a bit, your detention order will come soon.’ A while later, they brought it and said, ‘See, it wasn’t there before but now it is. Now you’re officially under detention,’ and locked the door on us.”
Turkey’s ‘normal birth’ policy
In recent months, the Turkish government launched a campaign to reduce the rate of C-sections in the country – notably the highest in the world at around 60%. The campaign included public relations stunts and certain limitations on access to C-sections in private healthcare institutions
Recent protest over birth policies
On Friday (June 13), Aydınalp staged a performative protest criticizing the government’s “normal birth” policies, saying: “What’s normal isn’t natural birth – it’s a life for women without massacres.”
Aydınalp’s lawyer stated, “There are already court decisions of acquittal or non-prosecution regarding the videos previously circulated in the media. She has never been convicted of anything. However, my client is constantly being detained. The only active file is the current investigation.”
— bianet (@bianet_org) June 15, 2025
Article 225 – Indecent acts
Article 225 – (1) Anyone who has sexual intercourse or exposes themselves publicly is sentenced to six months to one year in prison.
(TY/DT)
Source: BIANET
