- In the ongoing case seeking the closure of the Tarlabaşı Community Center, the court has rejected motions filed by rights organizations to join the case as intervening parties.
- The court also postponed the civil case once again, stating it would wait for the outcome of a criminal trial that was filed on similar grounds.
MLSA – The latest hearing in the closure case against the Tarlabaşı Community Support Association (known as the Tarlabaşı Community Center – TTM), which was filed on the grounds of “violation of law and morality,” was held on Jan. 21, 2026, at the 18th Civil Court of First Instance in Istanbul. The hearing was observed by TTM volunteers, rights defenders, and diplomatic representatives.
During the hearing, representatives from various organizations took the floor and stated that the lawsuit could impact the work of all civil society organizations operating in the fields of women’s and children’s rights, adding that TTM’s work in these areas served the public interest.
The motions to intervene filed earlier by several organizations — including the Association for Struggle Against Sexual Violence, Sulukule Volunteers Association, Izmir Chamber of City Planners, Human Rights Association, Istanbul Bar Association, Izmir Bar Association, Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation, Civil Society Development Center, We Will Stop Femicides Platform, Women for Women’s Human Rights – New Ways Association, Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association, and the Association of Psychologists for Social Solidarity (TODAP) — were all rejected by the court individually.
The court also rejected the association’s request for the case to be dismissed immediately, and ruled instead to await the outcome of a criminal case currently underway at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance involving TTM administrators. The next hearing in the civil case was scheduled for Sept. 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
What happened?
Following a smear campaign that began on social media in June 2021 targeting TTM’s work on gender equality, various administrative inspections were launched against the association. This process led to two separate lawsuits against TTM. One, filed in 2021 seeking the “determination of nonexistence,” was dismissed in May 2024; that decision is currently under appeal. The second, a closure case filed in February 2022, remains ongoing. In addition, a criminal trial is also ongoing against the association’s administrators on allegations of violating the Law on Associations. In October 2024, the association’s office was sealed on the grounds of “unauthorized educational activities.” The administrative appeals process against that action has not yet concluded.
Statement before the hearing: “Let TTM return to Tarlabaşı”
Before the hearing, TTM volunteers and rights advocates gathered outside Çağlayan Courthouse and issued a public statement. Criticizing the prolonged legal process, the statement read: “Despite attempts to wear us down through endless litigation, we continue our struggle with the same determination we had on day one.” Participants called for the TTM to be allowed to resume its work in the Tarlabaşı neighborhood, stating: “Let TTM return to Tarlabaşı so that the women and children of the neighborhood can reclaim their safe space.”
The statement also referenced the court-ordered closure of the Young LGBTI+ Association in İzmir in December 2025 on the grounds of “obscenity.” Participants said the accusations against the association were based on artistic content and argued that pressure on civil society was increasing. They called for unconditional solidarity with both organizations: “We call on all civil society to stand with the Young LGBTI+ Association and TTM, without exceptions or conditions.”
The statement continued: “Violations against rights-based civil society organizations in Turkey are worsening. Lawsuits to shut down associations and criminal cases against their administrators are becoming more common. Since 2021, at least six closure cases have been filed against associations in Turkey, and four of them have resulted in court-ordered dissolution.”
After the hearing: “This case is an attempt to legitimize a harassment campaign through the courts”
After the hearing, TTM volunteers and supporters criticized the court’s interim decisions. They said the prolonged nature of the closure trial and the rejection of intervention motions had effectively halted TTM’s work.
They added: “This hearing once again showed that the harassment campaign against TTM is being legitimized through the judiciary.” TTM volunteers also criticized the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Family and Social Services for joining the case, arguing that civil society organizations were being targeted.
The statement also argued that the ongoing legal proceedings show a misuse of public resources: “In a country where the minimum wage is below the hunger line, public funds are not being spent for impoverished women and children, but to harass an association that works with them.”
