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Trans Woman Finds Shelter Amid Crackdown - Turkey

Trans women Cigdem (L), Ozlem (C), and Helin (R) speak together outside their home on Bornova Street in Izmir, Turkey, on July 27, 2025. Located in the Alsancak neighborhood of the city’s Konak district, Bornova Street is known as a densely populated area for transgender individuals, many of whom face growing hostility amid increasing state and societal pressure on LGBTQ+ communities. Trans women living here report frequent harassment, including physical assaults by civilians and police raids. A recent sealing order targeting 14 apartments has further disrupted lives under the official justification of combating prostitution. The Turkish government’s declaration of 2025 as the “Year of the Family” has coincided with intensified crackdowns on LGBTQ+ visibility and spaces. Despite this climate of fear, Cigdem, Ozlem, and Helin continue to build community and resist marginalization in a city where their identities remain under threat. Photo by Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Trans Woman Finds Shelter Amid Crackdown - Turkey

Trans women Cigdem (L), Ozlem (C), and Helin (R) speak together outside their home on Bornova Street in Izmir, Turkey, on July 27, 2025. Located in the Alsancak neighborhood of the city’s Konak district, Bornova Street is known as a densely populated area for transgender individuals, many of whom face growing hostility amid increasing state and societal pressure on LGBTQ+ communities. Trans women living here report frequent harassment, including physical assaults by civilians and police raids. A recent sealing order targeting 14 apartments has further disrupted lives under the official justification of combating prostitution. The Turkish government’s declaration of 2025 as the “Year of the Family” has coincided with intensified crackdowns on LGBTQ+ visibility and spaces. Despite this climate of fear, Cigdem, Ozlem, and Helin continue to build community and resist marginalization in a city where their identities remain under threat. Photo by Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Trans Woman Finds Shelter Amid Crackdown - Turkey

Trans women Cigdem (L), Ozlem (C), and Helin (R) speak together outside their home on Bornova Street in Izmir, Turkey, on July 27, 2025. Located in the Alsancak neighborhood of the city’s Konak district, Bornova Street is known as a densely populated area for transgender individuals, many of whom face growing hostility amid increasing state and societal pressure on LGBTQ+ communities. Trans women living here report frequent harassment, including physical assaults by civilians and police raids. A recent sealing order targeting 14 apartments has further disrupted lives under the official justification of combating prostitution. The Turkish government’s declaration of 2025 as the “Year of the Family” has coincided with intensified crackdowns on LGBTQ+ visibility and spaces. Despite this climate of fear, Cigdem, Ozlem, and Helin continue to build community and resist marginalization in a city where their identities remain under threat. Photo by Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Trans Woman Finds Shelter Amid Crackdown - Turkey

Cigdem, a trans woman, shows the injury she sustained after surviving a violent assault by a man, revealing that part of her skull is missing, at her residence on Bornova Street in Izmir, Turkey, on July 27, 2025. She now requires ongoing medical care. Bornova Street, in the Alsancak neighborhood of the Konak district, is home to a significant transgender community increasingly targeted by violence and systemic discrimination. Residents report assaults not only from civilians committing hate crimes but also from law enforcement. A sealing order recently issued for 14 apartments, officially under the pretext of combating prostitution, has further displaced vulnerable individuals. These actions come during what the Turkish government calls the “Year of the Family,” a period that LGBTQ+ advocates say has coincided with heightened repression. Cigdem’s case exemplifies the physical danger and institutional neglect faced by trans women living in marginalization and fear. Photo by Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Trans Woman Finds Shelter Amid Crackdown - Turkey

Cigdem, a trans woman, shows the injury she sustained after surviving a violent assault by a man, revealing that part of her skull is missing, at her residence on Bornova Street in Izmir, Turkey, on July 27, 2025. She now requires ongoing medical care. Bornova Street, in the Alsancak neighborhood of the Konak district, is home to a significant transgender community increasingly targeted by violence and systemic discrimination. Residents report assaults not only from civilians committing hate crimes but also from law enforcement. A sealing order recently issued for 14 apartments, officially under the pretext of combating prostitution, has further displaced vulnerable individuals. These actions come during what the Turkish government calls the “Year of the Family,” a period that LGBTQ+ advocates say has coincided with heightened repression. Cigdem’s case exemplifies the physical danger and institutional neglect faced by trans women living in marginalization and fear. Photo by Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

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ALTRO - Tiro a Segno - ISSF World Cup Shotgun

Ozyaman Ozenir Cigdem of Team Tu?rkiye competes in the Shooting Skeet Women's Qualification during day two of the ISSF World Cup Shotgun 2025 at the Concaverde Shooting Range in Lonato del Garda, Italy on July 07, 2025.

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ALTRO - Tiro a Segno - ISSF World Cup Shotgun

Ozyaman Ozenir Cigdem of Team Tu?rkiye competes in the Shooting Skeet Women's Qualification during day two of the ISSF World Cup Shotgun 2025 at the Concaverde Shooting Range in Lonato del Garda, Italy on July 07, 2025.

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