Poyraz
Age 281 Dec 2025
Sincan, Ankara (Turkey)
Suspicious death
Poyraz died in suspicious circumstances in Sincan Cezaevi (Sincan Prison).
Sevda Karaca, in a press conference she held in Parliament yesterday, brought up the suspicious death of a transgender prisoner named Poyraz in Sincan Women's Closed Prison.
In her statement, Karaca included information she obtained from her meeting with female lawyers from the Ankara Bar Association, stating that transgender and LGBT+ prisoners were forcibly placed in G-3 cell, which is called the "groom's ward," and said the following:
“They mockingly call this cell the ‘groom’s ward,’ where they forcibly place transgender and LGBTQ+ prisoners, making them sign dubious papers. They isolate these cells, selecting those [AFAB] prisoners who are ‘short-haired’ or ‘masculine.’ They are kept in solitary confinement, preventing contact with anyone, even during doctor visits, and not allowing them to have any contact with others, even during fresh air. They are denied the right to exercise. During their time here, those undergoing gender transition are subjected to various forms of torture to discourage them from seeking treatment.”
Karaca emphasized that the practices were not limited to these, stating that four more prisoners were recently placed in this cell and taken to a psychiatrist collectively. Karaca continued:
“On December 1st, these prisoners were suddenly taken to the psychiatric ward en masse, in a manner never before seen. They were kept there for about two hours. When they returned to their cells, they found a transgender [person] named Poyraz, who had never been in that ward before, hanging from the bunk bed. The prisoners said that Poyraz's hair had been shaved off and that they looked much thinner than usual. They pressed the emergency button and called for help. One of the prisoners tried to cut the rope with a lighter because there were no cutting tools available. Guards went in and out of the ward, but no medical personnel arrived. Later, the guards wrapped Poyraz in a blanket and carried him out. A few days later, they were informed that they had died.”
"They are being held responsible for the death of a person they had never stayed with before, and whom they found hanging when they returned to the room." Karaca stated that two days after the incident, the prosecutor and the crime scene investigation team came to the prison, but the statements of the prisoners in the ward were not taken, and added the following:
“When the prosecutor arrives, the prisoners in the ward are locked in another room. They say they want to give statements to the prosecutor, but the prosecutor doesn't take them. Later, a disciplinary investigation is launched against the prisoners in that ward regarding this incident. You heard that right. They are being held responsible for the death of a person they had never shared a cell with before, who was placed in the room when they were taken to the doctor, and whom they found hanging when they returned.”
https://t24.com.tr/haber/dokundugu-hayatlara-sevilesi-izler-birakan-poyraz,1285678
https://kaosgl1.org/haber/sincan-cezaevi-nde-trans-erkek-mahpus-supheli-sekilde-olu-bulundu
https://www.instagram.com/p/DSPQvEHDb0g/
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DSR8Y7OCDsb/
https://x.com/ozgulsakii/status/1999770218755694924
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icCu0CTsE88
