The Tarlabaşı Community Center (Tarlabaşı Toplum Merkezi - TTM), a non-profit organization that has served children and women in Istanbul’s impoverished Tarlabaşı neighborhood for 18 years, was sealed on October 8, 2024, by the Beyoğlu District Governor's Office. Authorities cited "unauthorized operations" as the reason for the action. TTM, which is currently facing an ongoing closure lawsuit, condemned the sealing as unlawful and emphasized that no formal, detailed decision had been provided.
In a press release issued on October 9, 2024, TTM stated that the center was sealed without any legal justification. They reported that a commission sent by the district governor's office forcibly attempted to enter the building and, when asked for a written decision, called law enforcement. Police and municipal officers then proceeded to seal the center.
TTM’s press release:
Tarlabaşı Community Center Sealed!
Press Release
October 9, 2024
"For 18 years, the Tarlabaşı Community Support Association (known as Tarlabaşı Community Center - TTM) has worked to create safe spaces for women and children in Tarlabaşı, one of the most impoverished and marginalized areas in Istanbul. On October 8, the center was sealed.
This unlawful action is the latest in a series of legal and administrative harassment campaigns that have targeted our center since 2021. Despite continued efforts to carry out our work remotely, the commission sent by the Beyoğlu District Governor’s Office arrived shortly after our staff entered the building. When asked about the purpose of their visit, they refused to respond. Instead, they called the police, who then sealed the building, claiming we were operating without proper authorization.
TTM has long fought against poverty, discrimination, and gender inequality in Tarlabaşı. For over three years, we have continued our work despite numerous pressures and forms of intimidation. Our building, established through the collective memory of this neighborhood, remains a vital safe space for the women and children who live here. We remain determined to protect it.
As we have said before, and will say again: Our roots are strong. We will continue our fight against the erasure of our presence, against the closure of our vibrant terrace that looks to the sky, and against any attempt to paint over our community’s colors. Tarlabaşı’s history, and therefore TTM’s history, is not only one of oppression, violence, and displacement but also of resistance and solidarity.
We also address those who have slandered us, those who shared the news of our building being sealed even before TTM did, claiming falsely that we had been 'shut down.' TTM HAS NOT BEEN SHUT DOWN. It has been unlawfully sealed without legal grounds.
We will pursue legal action, defend our right to organize, and continue to stand by our slogan: 'Good thing you exist, TTM!' The struggle goes on."
In solidarity,
Tarlabaşı Community Center
Background
The Tarlabaşı Community Center has been a crucial resource for marginalized communities in Tarlabaşı, a district known for its socioeconomic struggles. Since 2021, the center has faced growing pressures, including legal challenges and public defamation campaigns. TTM has been at the forefront of providing support and safe spaces for women and children affected by poverty, discrimination, and gender inequality.
