Turkey expands ‘obscenity’ investigations to musicians as 'girl band' given travel ban

Members of the all-female pop group Manifest were barred from leaving Turkey after prosecutors launched an investigation into their recent age-restricted concert in İstanbul, while in a separate verdict, access to videos of the concer has been blocked.

The group is accused of “obscene behavior” and “exhibitionism” during their performance at Küçükçiftlik Park venue in İstanbul on Sep 6, which was attended by 12,000 people according to the band.

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Sep 8 the investigation was launched ex officio due to the group’s stage performances and dance routines, which it claimed “violated public decency, modesty, and moral norms.”

Yesterday, the six members, Mina Solak, Esin Bahat, Zeynep Sude Oktay, Lidya Pınar, Sueda Uluca, and Emine Hilal Yelekçi, were brought to the courthouse under police escort following an order from the prosecutor. They were not taken to the police station prior to their court appearance.

After giving their statements at the prosecutor’s office responsible for press crimes, the members were referred to a penal judge of peace. The court released them under judicial control, imposing a travel ban and requiring regular check-ins with police stations.

A scene from the concert subject to investigation

In a separate decision, the Ankara 6th Penal Judgeship of Peace issued an access block on online videos of the concert as part citing protection of national security and public order. This is a common justification for access bans in Turkey.

The concert at the center of the controversy marked first age-restricted show of the group formed in February and rose to prominence quickly in the Turkish pop scene. Manifest said it was “sold out.”

Following the event, the group faced backlash on social media over their stage costumes and choreography. On Sep 7, Presidential Chief Advisor Oktay Saral shared a censored image of the performance, saying, “These immoral, shameless, indecent creatures dressed like devils should be prosecuted to prevent them from ever engaging in this exhibitionism again.”

The investigation has sparked criticism among artists, activists, and opposition politicians.

Obscenity charges expanding to musicians

In recent years, several social media personalities and adult content creators have been charged with “obscene” behavior, mainly due to content shared on paid platforms and social media. The investigation into Manifest marks the first time musicians have been targeted with such charges.

Under Turkish law, Article 226 of the penal code prohibits the distribution of “obscene” content through media, although it does not define the term precisely or address modern digital platforms. A separate article, 225, covers public exhibitionism, including acts of nudity or sexual behavior in public spaces.

Another pop star who was frequently targeted by online harassment due to her concert outfits was Gülşen. While she was not investigated for obscenity, she spent several days under arrest in 2022 after being investigated for “provoking the public into hatred and enmity” over a joke she made about Turkey’s religious vocational schools.

During a concert in Bursa, she said, pointing to a member of her band, “He studied at an imam-hatip school before. This is where his perversion comes from,” which drew laughter from the audience and draw a backlash from concervative circles.