Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into a women’s rights association on accusations of disseminating misleading information over its statements on the suspicious death of a woman and her daughter who had previously raised sexual abuse allegations, the Birgün daily reported.
The probe was launched after the Ministry of Family and Social Services filed a complaint over remarks by representatives of the Children and Women First Association, which had been providing legal support to Fatmanur Çelik and her daughter Hifa İkra Şengüler.
Çelik and her daughter were found dead in the Marmara Sea near the shore off İstanbul on March 3. Before their deaths, Çelik had accused her husband, Ayhan Şengüler, of abusing her when she was a minor and later sexually abusing their daughter from the age of three.
Association Chairperson Müjde Tozbey gave a statement at the Bakırköy courthouse on Thursday and later told reporters the investigation was targeting the group for questioning the circumstances of the deaths and the failure of authorities to protect the victims while they were alive.
Tozbey said the association was being punished for standing by the victims, while the father accused of abuse remains free.
Turkish civil society organizations have faced judicial and administrative measures over the last decade, along with growing legal challenges amid what rights groups describe as increasing pressure by the government to curb dissent and limit human rights advocacy.
International organizations and human rights groups, including the Council of Europe (CoE), the European Union and Amnesty International, have repeatedly raised concerns over restrictions on freedom of expression as well as limits on associations in Turkey.
Child sexual abuse cases remain a significant concern in Turkey. According to a 2024 report by the Istanbul-based Bread and Rose Association, nearly 16,000 sexual abuse cases went to trial in Turkey in 2024, with more than 7,000 defendants, according to official figures.
The rights groups and opposition parties warn that a culture of impunity continues to shield perpetrators, with many allegations of sexual abuse left uninvestigated and no formal charges filed.
