ADANA, July 9, 2023 — Police in Adana intervened on a demonstration planned by the Adana LGBTQ+ Pride Week Committee, resulting in the detention of 18 people, including the local co-chair of the People's Democratic Party (HDP), Helin Kaya, and three lawyers. The detainees reported physical abuse by law enforcement officers. Green Left Party YSP representative Perihan Koca was also assaulted at the scene, and the camera of a journalist, Hamdullah Yağız Kesen, was damaged. All of the detained were let go in the evening hours.
The Adana Governor's Office had previously banned all protests and events in the city for three days, citing a need to maintain peace, security, and public order. The order banned activities ranging from open-air meetings, marches, press statements, and hunger strikes to distributing pamphlets and setting up tents or stands.
The prohibition sparked tension as the Adana Police, citing the ban, denied the LGBTQ+ community and other participants, including representative Perihan Koca and several lawyers, the permission to hold their press release in Ataturk Park. The police cordoned off the area and resorted to force against the group, culminating in the detainment of 18 individuals.
The detainees, including Helin Kaya, and lawyers Zelal Demiray, Umay Büyükdağ, and Baran Taygun Metin, reported physical abuse during their arrest. Amid the chaos, Perihan Koca attempted to voice her opposition to the police's actions but was obstructed from doing so. Hamdullah Yağız Kesen, a reporter for the Mezopotamia Agency, was also hindered from documenting the incident when the Adana Security Branch Director damaged his camera.
After the incident, the 18 detainees were taken to the Adana Forensic Medicine Institute, where they received reports verifying the physical abuse they endured. They were then moved to the Adana Security Branch, where their statements were to be taken. It is reported that they will face legal action for violating the Meeting and Demonstration Marches Law (No. 2911) and resisting police forces.
