A nurse in Turkey has been detained and suspended from her job after posting a video of herself braiding her hair as part of a social media protest linked to violence against Kurdish women in northern Syria.
 |
| Turkish nurse detained for braiding her hair in protest Turkish nurse detained for braiding her hair in protest |
According to reporting by CEGA, the nurse, identified in Turkish media by her initials İ.A., worked at a public hospital in the northwestern province of Kocaeli. She posted a video from her workplace showing herself braiding her hair as part of a wider online trend, and later faced both criminal and administrative investigations by Turkish authorities. İ.A., a civil servant of Kurdish descent from Diyarbakır, a Kurdish-majority city in Turkey, has suggested that her ethnic background may have been the cause of her detention and suspension. The case has drawn criticism from human rights advocates and opposition figures, who say it reflects growing restrictions on freedom of expression and political symbolism in Turkey.
The social media trend, known in Turkish as a “saç örme akımı” (“hair-braiding movement”), began after a disturbing video circulated online showing a man in Raqqa, Syria, holding up a cut braid of hair that he claimed belonged to a female fighter affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF is a Kurdish-led militia that has been a key U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS but is designated as a terrorist organisation by the Turkish government because of links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state.
In response, women in Turkey and in Kurdish communities abroad began posting videos of themselves braiding their hair, saying the gesture was a symbol of resistance to perceived violence and humiliation directed at women in the conflict. Supporters framed it as standing against abuses in war-torn areas of northern Syria, particularly areas once controlled by the SDF.
Authorities’ reaction and legal action
Turkish authorities responded by opening an investigation into the nurse’s posts. The Kocaeli Provincial Health Directorate said her actions violated Turkey’s Civil Servants Law and the ethical principles governing public employees. İ.A. was detained by police at her brother’s home in Istanbul and taken in for questioning. She was later released under judicial control and banned from travelling abroad. İ.A. was subsequently suspended from her nursing duties pending further review.
İ.A.’s attorney has described the detention as unlawful, stating that it stemmed solely from the video of her hair-braiding — an act he argues should be protected under freedom of expression.
İ.A.’s response
In a statement shared following her release, İ.A. said she rejected all allegations of unlawful acts. She described herself as someone sensitive to women’s rights and gender-based violence, and argued that braiding her hair was not a crime under Turkish law. She said she was the victim of a “smear and lynch campaign” in which her motives had been distorted. İ.A. added that she is seeking to file criminal complaints against those who threatened or defamed her online, and said she would donate any compensation awarded to charities supporting stray animals.
Translated and edited by Medyascope English Newsroom
