Kocaeli-based nurse İkra Avcı has been dismissed from her public health position following an administrative investigation, despite previously being acquitted in a criminal court of charges related to a social media protest against violence against women.
The Social Media Solidarity Campaign That Triggered an Inquiry
The controversy began when İkra Avcı, employed as a nurse in Kocaeli, published a video on social media featuring her braided hair. The gesture was part of a digital solidarity movement that spread across Turkey, sparked by DEM Party lawmakers who sought to bring attention to the public display of a cut hair braid belonging to a female fighter in Raqqa, Syria.
What started as an expression of solidarity with victims of violence drew state scrutiny. Avcı faced both administrative and judicial investigations over the digital post, which local authorities scrutinized under terrorism laws.
From Criminal Acquittal to Administrative Dismissal
Following her initial detention, Avcı was released under judicial control conditions while her case proceeded through the courts. On May 21, 2026, the judicial process concluded when a court handed down an acquittal, clearing her of charges that she had engaged in terrorist propaganda.
However, the clearing of her criminal record did not halt the parallel administrative disciplinary track. While the court found no criminal violation, the hospital administration pursued disciplinary measures that ultimately resulted in her removal from public service. Avcı announced the termination of her employment on her social media channels, expressing profound frustration with the outcome.
Public Reaction and Institutional Fallout
The decision to strip Avcı of her civil servant status has drawn criticism. The DEM Party Women’s Council publicly called for her immediate reinstatement, framing the administrative sanction as a punitive measure against legitimate public expression concerning violence against women.
Avcı herself did not mince words regarding the professional cost of her activism. In a public statement detailing her dismissal, she stated, according to SonDakika, “I did not remain silent in the face of a femicide. I braided my hair to protest the killing of women, violence, and femicides. The price for this was my profession. May my rights be forbidden…”
The Broader Clash Over Civil Servant Expression
As Avcı’s legal counsel prepares further appeals against the dismissal, the case remains a prominent test of where professional compliance ends and personal conscience begins.
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