“Immoral, shameless”: in Türkiye, the girl band Manifest targeted by the authorities
The six singers of the Turkish pop group Manifest, hugely popular with young people, were prosecuted after conservatives close to the Islamist-nationalist government denounced their costumes and choreography. The Turkish courts banned them from leaving the country and placed them under judicial supervision.
In just a few months, Turkish pop girl band Manifest , formed in early 2025, has managed to attract a wide audience. But the female musical group is now unleashing the passions of editorialists and facing the wrath of the Turkish courts. The controversy erupted after a concert in Istanbul on September 6, in front of 12,000 spectators.
Probably aware of the criticism they could receive in their country for the visible bras and garter belts that made up their stage costumes, the six singers of the group had decided to ban their performance to those under 18. But this precaution was not enough. The very next day, an influential advisor to the Turkish Islamo-nationalist president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressed his outrage on the social network X , denouncing “immoral, shameless, demon-like creatures” by sharing a blurred poster of the group and demanding “that something be done to ensure that this exhibitionism does not happen again.”
Known for his readiness to grant the wishes of those in power, the Istanbul prosecutor immediately opened an investigation for “exhibitionism” and “obscene behavior,” two offenses punishable by six months to one year in prison, reports the Islamo-nationalist daily Yeni Safak , which condemns these “obscene dances.”
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