Police break into homes and arrest 20 trans women in Istanbul
08 MARCH 2013 | BY JOE MORGANhttp://www.gaystarnews.com/article/20-trans-women-arrested-istanbul080313On the night before International Women's Day, police officers in Istanbul arrested and harassed 20 transgender women.
Around 4pm yesterday (7 March), police officers broke down their doors with sledgehammers and forced them to go to Beyoglu police station on the basis of 'providing space' for sex work.
A lawyer from the Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association in Turkey (SPoD) criticized the arrest, saying it was not legal.
Rozerine Seda Kip said: 'The police did not respect the procedures and related policies.
'Police did not show any ID or the court order and did not give any reasoning. They just broke all the doors, and they left.
She continued: 'Around 20 women were taken to Beyoglu Police Station as victims of sex work.
'The police even tried to not let lawyers contact them. As the lawyers of SPoD, we experienced physical and verbal violence when we asked to see the court orders and police reports.
'Afterwards they were taken to the hospital for STD tests, and then released.'
While sex work is not illegal in Turkey, transgendered women are not allowed to work in regulated brothels.
