Turkish prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of up to five years, three months for a social media influencer who was previously detained on an obscenity charge after offering a paid Valentine’s Day dinner, according to an indictment filed in İstanbul, the Velev news website reported on Wednesday.
Merve Taşkın, who was initially put under house arrest following her detention, is accused of “repeated obscenity” under Article 226 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes the production, distribution or promotion of content deemed offensive to public morality. The indictment states that İstanbul police received complaints about Taşkın’s online content, leading to her detention earlier in February.
According to her statement in the indictment, Taşkın acknowledged that the social media account in question belonged to her and said she had made the Valentine’s Day post to boost engagement. She denied that her content was criminal, arguing that her posts did not violate the law. She also said private images cited in the case were sent via direct messages, though she could not recall to whom.
Turkish authorities have increasingly used obscenity laws to prosecute social media users, artists and content creators, often invoking them to enforce conservative values and restrict online expression. Past cases have included the prosecution of publishing houses for literature deemed obscene, legal action against OnlyFans creators and bans on streaming services for allegedly inappropriate content.
Prosecutors are seeking a sentence ranging from seven months to more than five years. The indictment has been submitted to a criminal court of first instance for review, and a trial date has yet to be set.