Turkish nurse dismissed after hair-braiding protest acquittal

İkra Avcı, a nurse at a public hospital in Kocaeli, Turkey, has been dismissed from her profession following an administrative investigation. The dismissal follows a legal battle regarding a social media video in which she braided her hair in solidarity with a Kurdish woman killed in Syria.

Avcı had previously faced criminal charges for “spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization” after participating in a hair-braiding campaign initiated by the DEM Party. Although a court acquitted her of these terrorism-related charges in May 2026, the administrative disciplinary proceedings continued. The hospital where she worked sought her dismissal, a request that was subsequently approved, ending her period of suspension.

Avcı stated that her actions were intended to protest violence against women and that “the price for me was my profession.” The DEM Party has condemned the dismissal as a political move and is calling for her reinstatement.