Turkish journalist Tuğba Tekerek held in pretrial detention

Eight press freedom and rights organizations have called for the immediate release of freelance journalist Tuğba Tekerek, who is currently in pretrial detention in Turkey.

Tekerek was detained in Istanbul and transferred to Ankara following an investigation into alleged obscenity involving the organization Kaos GL. Prosecutors claim Tekerek administered the group’s Instagram account, which they allege contained material violating public morality. Tekerek has denied these allegations, stating her only connection to the organization was a freelance article she wrote in 2024 regarding LGBT issues in Georgia.

Advocacy groups expressed concern that the detention is part of a broader crackdown on journalists and LGBT activists, noting that the investigation appears to target journalistic activity under the guise of obscenity laws.