Defending Democracy and Youth Voices in Türkiye: A Call for the Immediate Release of Enes Hocaoğulları

GROW expresses its grave concern and firm condemnation following the arbitrary arrest of Enes Hocaoğulları, a 23-year-old Turkish LGBTQI+ rights activist and Youth Delegate to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, on the 5th of August at Ankara Airport upon his return to Türkiye and placed in pre-trial detention at the Sincan Prison. 

Following his speech at the 48th Session of the Council of Europe Congress in March, where he denounced the human rights violations faced by young people during the 19 March protests in Türkiye, Enes was subject to multiple investigations under various articles of the Turkish Penal Code. An investigation was initiated by the Turkish judiciary on charges of ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’ and ‘inciting public hatred and hostility’. This culminatedin an arrest warrant being issued and Enes being arrested and detained.

As a worrying indication of a democratic backlash and erosion in fundamental freedoms in Türkiye and worldwide, the arrest and detention of Enes is part of a deliberate pattern of politically motivated and unfair repression against civil society actors, LGBTQI+ communities, and young activists across Türkiye. This is one more example of the attacks against, criminalisation of, and pressure on young people’s democratic public participation and freedom of expression to delegitimise and silence youth voices committed to and defenders of democratic values and human rights, thereby impeding and intimidating youth involvement.

GROW stands in full solidarity with Enes Hocaoğullari and endorses the calls for his immediate and unconditional release made by the European Youth Forum and the National Youth Council of Türkiye. GROW strongly condemns the arrest of elected mayors and police violence against peaceful protesters, particularly young people, in Türkiye since 19 March.

We call on the Turkish authorities to fully respect human rights, democratic principles, and the rule of law, and urge the Council of Europe, European institutions, and national governments to take urgent diplomatic action to end the criminalisation of human rights defenders and the restriction of their legitimate political expression in Türkiye.

As a youth think tank whose vocation is to defend human rights, democracy and the rule of law, GROW is committed to promoting and protecting the exercise of fundamental rights to freedom of opinion and free expression on matters of public interest, as well as peaceful assembly and of association, associated with public participation. As part of its Safeguarding Freedom of Expression project, GROW is dedicated to advocating for and ensuring the establishment of spaces for young people and human rights defenders that are democratic, open, and secure from fear of repression and retaliation. 

#Freedom4Enes