Istanbul Prosecutor's Office Launches 'Obscenity' Investigation Into Turkish Singer Mabel Matiz Over Music Video With Gay Undertones
On August 13, 2026, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ex officio launched an investigation into popular Turkish pop singer Mabel Matiz. The inquiry focuses on the lyrics and music video for his new song “Ha Leylim” (Turkish for “Oh, my beloved”), released two days prior. The office’s statement claims that the audiovisual work contains elements of the crime outlined in Article 226 of the Turkish Penal Code (“Obscenity”).
The music video for “Ha Leylim” takes place at a traditional Turkish wedding. In the video, the 40-year-old Matiz plays a man who repeatedly exchanges long, meaningful glances with the groom, culminating in the two performing a traditional dance together. According to a statement by the human rights organization Kaos GL , the video’s plot caught the authorities’ attention precisely because of its possible homosexual undertones.
This is not the first time the musician (real name Fatih Karaca) has faced Turkish justice over similar allegations. In May 2026, an Istanbul court acquitted him in a similar case concerning the song “Perperişan.” At the time, Turkey’s Ministry of Family and Social Services demanded that access to the track be blocked, arguing that it violated public order and moral standards. Ultimately, the court ruled that the singer’s actions did not constitute a crime.
