LGBT Journalist Yıldız Tar Released from Custody in Turkey

Yıldız Tar, the editor-in-chief of the Turkish LGBT publication Kaos GL, has been released from custody after spending nearly a month in Sincan Prison in Ankara. The decision was made following a monthly review of the detention order. Further legal proceedings will continue without pretrial detention.

According to Bianet , the journalist was detained on June 23, 2026, as part of mass operations ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara. On June 25, Tar was formally arrested on charges of “membership in an armed terrorist organization.” Along with Tar, eight other individuals, including academics and social activists, were detained and have now been released.

During interrogations, the investigators’ questions did not concern NATO. The journalist was asked about sharing an interview titled “A Year of Struggle, Not a Year of the Family” on social media, which was a reaction to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declaring 2025 the “Year of the Family.” In their testimony, Yıldız Tar rejected the accusations of terrorism propaganda, emphasizing that their activities are aimed at overcoming prejudices against the LGBT community and represent an exercise of free speech and professional journalism.