Arrest of Teenage Girls on Terror Charges, Istanbul

Background

On 7 May 2024, in the early morning hours, a large-scale operation was carried out by the Anti-Terrorism Department units of the Istanbul Police Department in Beylikdüzü district against people associated with the Gülen group including young middle school and high school girls. Thirty-eight people were arrested during the operation and accused of gathering for study sessions and engaging in social activities like playing bowling, ordering food online. During the detention, it was alleged that statements were recorded without a lawyer’s presence and under psychological pressure. After a 4-day detention period, an arrest warrant was issued for 28 of them on May 10, 2024 .

Treatment of Minors

During the same operation, 15 girls aged 13 to 17 were apprehended by police forces without their families’ consent and taken to the Üsküdar Children Police Department for “information gathering.” They were interrogated for 16 hours without their parents or lawyers present, and then released .

Two of the girls later stated that the police deprived them of food during the process and they were not allowed to communicate with each other. .

Indictment

On June 10, 2024, the Istanbul Attorney General's Office filed a 529-page indictment against 41 individuals, accusing them of being members of an armed terrorist organization. The indictment primarily alleged that:

• Female college students were residing in apartments allegedly tied to the terrorist organization.
• 13 parents were charged with "allowing" their children to live in these apartments.
• The students allegedly engaged in social and recreational activities, including playing bowling, mentoring younger students, and distributing food .
• The group used the popular food delivery app Yemeksepeti to order food.

The indictment was supported by evidence such as phone records, physical surveillance reports, and statements from the 13-17 year old girls obtained during interrogations at the Children Police Station.

On July 8, 2024, the Istanbul 24th High Criminal Court accepted the indictment and scheduled the first hearing for September 23-27, 2024. The court ordered the 13-17 years old girls to appear at the hearing as witnesses. The first hearing of the trial began on September 23, 2024, and lasted five days. DEM Party MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu , who was observing the trial, was removed from the courtroom on the second day due to his social media criticisms. He claimed that the presiding judge had lost impartiality and filed complaints against the judge .

Reaction

Human Rights Association (Turkey) Co-Chair Lawyer Eren Keskin emphasized that the police methods applied to these girls were illegal . Gergerlioğlu questioned Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya about the law enforcement actions, deeming them illegal. Ali Yerlikaya responded that the children and their families were informed by a social worker and psychologist on duty, and the children were sent with their families immediately after legal procedures were completed. He added that "the statement of the person named N.Z.B. in question was about gathering information, she was not interrogated as a suspect" .