Ankara’s Hidden Sex Market Revealed on Camera

Undercover police footage has revealed the inner workings of an alleged organized prostitution network operating through tele-bars in central Ankara, according to indictments prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation, launched under special instructions from Chief Prosecutor Gökhan Karaköse, resulted in nine separate criminal cases involving 86 alleged victims and 88 defendants, 63 of whom are currently in pretrial detention.

Court documents detail how tele-bars, primarily located in the Akay area of Çankaya, allegedly replaced the Ulus red-light district after its closure, becoming hubs for systematic exploitation of women through prostitution.

Undercover Operation Captured on Police Cameras

According to the indictment, undercover officers entered the Rio Night Club on Olgunlar Street on the night of October 25, 2025, shortly after midnight. Officers were equipped with covert body cameras.

Upon entering, they were welcomed by a cloakroom attendant, identified as Ö.Y., and escorted inside. The venue was arranged in a U-shape, with a central stage and surrounding tables where women described as “hostesses” waited for customers.

The head waiter, identified as M.Y.O., approached the officers’ table and made explicit statements encouraging prostitution.

“If you reach an agreement with the women you see around the stage, you can leave the venue with them for sexual relations,” he said. “Choose whoever you want, agree on a nightly fee, and take her to a hotel. They are already drunk; you can do whatever you want.”

The officers did not respond verbally and continued observing the venue. Another employee later directed women to the tables and made further remarks encouraging sexual activity in exchange for payment.

How the Alleged System Operated

According to prosecutors, customers visited the tele-bars specifically for prostitution. Women were directed to tables by head waiters, where negotiations took place for hourly or overnight sexual services.

The tele-bars allegedly generated income through three main channels: inflating bar bills, demanding substantial payments at the cloakroom, and taking commissions directly from the women.

After agreements were reached, customers and women reportedly went to nearby hotels for sexual encounters, after which the women returned to the venue to continue working.

In addition to Rio, eight other tele-bars were named in the indictments: Pikola, Nirvana, Corte, Mia, Bacardi, Avlu, Ciklet, and Contes.

Victims Describe Exploitation and Harassment

E.Y.A., one of five alleged victims in the Pikola case, told investigators she was exhausted by what she described as systematic exploitation.

“I am tired of head waiters and venue owners earning illegal income from my body,” she said.

She alleged that the venue owner, identified as S.B., demanded payments from women who left the venue with customers.

“He asked for money from women who went out for prostitution. He usually demanded cash. When that wasn’t possible, he gave an account number that was not in his name,” she said. “I transferred money to his son’s account several times. This was commissioned from sexual encounters. He also sexually harassed the women he employed from time to time.”

E.Y.A. submitted bank transfer receipts, including a payment of 3,000 Turkish lira, as evidence.

Claims of Drugging Customers and Forced Compliance

G.K., a four-child mother working at Bacardi, said she was forced into hostess work after her divorce. She alleged that women were required to have sexual relations with venue owners or staff in order to continue working.

“For every table they directed to us, they took 1,000 lira,” she said. “When customers went to the restroom, substances were added to their drinks so they would become intoxicated quickly and lose their judgment.”

The Bacardi case includes 10 alleged victims and 11 defendants, six of whom are in custody.

Former Teacher Among Alleged Victims

Another woman, identified as A.A.Ş., said she previously worked as a Turkish language teacher at two schools before being driven into prostitution due to financial hardship.

She stated that after starting work at Corte six years ago, she was pressured by the responsible manager to engage in prostitution.

“He began marketing me to customers and directing me to tables,” she said. “I went to different hotels with men I agreed with for money, and I had to give commissions from that income to them.”

She provided prosecutors with bank transfer records and written correspondence as evidence. The Corte case includes 15 alleged victims and 17 defendants, 12 of whom are detained.

Surveillance Confirms Allegations

Undercover officers also documented activity at the Contes tele-bar that night. A customer, identified as Ö.A., openly told the officers that the venue provided escort services.

“This place works with escorts,” he said. “If you want to take someone out, don’t wait too long. You have to pay the cloakroom staff, you can’t leave with them.”

Police followed a customer and a woman to a nearby hotel, where they remained for one hour before returning. The woman resumed working at the venue afterward.

Scope of the Investigation

Across all nine cases, prosecutors identified 86 women as victims. A total of 140 customers were questioned as witnesses.

Defendants face charges of encouraging prostitution, facilitating prostitution, and providing locations for prostitution. Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of two to four years per offense, with separate penalties requested for each sexual act. If the court rules that the crimes were committed systematically, sentences may be increased by up to three-quarters.

Profiles Highlight Social Vulnerability

Indictments reveal that many women working in tele-bars were between 20 and 25 years old. A significant number were university graduates, current students, or women who had left their studies due to economic hardship. In addition to Turkish citizens, women from Ethiopia, Romania, Georgia, and Azerbaijan were identified among the alleged victims.

Several women described entering the sector due to divorce, unemployment, or financial pressure, underscoring the socioeconomic dimensions highlighted by prosecutors.