Turkish authorities detain 34 Russian women in nightclub raids over alleged ‘morality and public safety violations’

Turkish authorities conducted raids on nightclubs in Ankara, detaining 34 Russian women, according to the Russian Embassy in Turkey. The detentions were based on allegations of violating morality and public safety laws, the embassy stated. The arrests occurred on October 23, and the women are currently held at a deportation center, with a court hearing scheduled soon.

Baza, a Russian security services-linked Telegram channel, reported that over 100 women were detained in total during the raids, many of whom had come from the CIS countries to work at local clubs. The women were allegedly promised jobs as dancers, singers, or DJs, but were instead forced into exploitative roles as consumers. A comparable operation took place in Ankara in April, resulting in the arrest of 38 women, including 11 Russian citizens, who had come to Turkey seeking employment as waitresses and cleaners but were instead coerced into working as consumers. The alleged organizers of this scheme were later arrested and charged with human trafficking.