Turkish police say women held captive on show set

ISTANBUL — Turkish military police said today that they had stormed an Istanbul villa to rescue nine captive women whose scantily clad images were posted online after they were recruited for a television reality show.

The women said they had believed they were being filmed for a television show like “Big Brother,” which confines a group of people to a house under the constant gaze of cameras, the Dogan news agency and other Turkish media said, without citing sources.

Instead, pictures of the women posing in bathing suits and exercising were distributed on a Turkish-language Web site that allowed users to vote for their favorite woman, and see more images, by charging money through their mobile phones.

The women soon realized they had been duped, and asked to leave the villa, according to local media.

The women were rescued Monday in the villa in Riva, a resort near Istanbul, a spokesman for the military police who carried out the raid told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give details of the raid.

Hilmi Tufan Cakir, a lawyer representing the show’s organizers, said eight out of the nine women had formally complained that they were held against their will.

“There is no question of them being forcibly held,” Cakir said.

However, he said prosecutors were preparing an indictment against some company officials charging them with holding the women.

According to Turkish news reports, the women said they had responded to an ad searching for contestants for a reality show that would be aired on a Turkish television station.

They were made to sign a contract that said they could have no contact with their families and would have to pay a $33,000 fine if they left the show before two months, Dogan reported.

The women were told they could not leave unless they paid the fine and those who insisted were threatened, the agency said.

Cakir said that the show was legitimate and was broadcast on the Internet to paying subscribers.

“They knew that this competition would be aired on the Internet live and that this broadcast would not be open to everyone,” he said.

Cakir said about 14 people had been working on the show for the Istanbul Grup Bilisim Electronic, Trade, Communication and Advertisement company.

The show’s candy-pink Web site showcases contestants and asks viewers to subscribe through their mobile phones. Clicking on the pictures open up images of the women in shorts, miniskirts or bikinis.

Broken glass could be seen at the entrance of the two-story stone villa and near its pool today. Cameras were removed but a room still had editing and video-monitoring equipment.

A handwritten sign on one door read: “No one can do their hair, touch the makeup or take clothes without permission.”

Cakir claimed the raid came after the women became “bored” and one of them called her mother for help. The villa’s security guard was detained and released pending the outcome of a trial, he said. It is not unusual for Turkish courts to release suspects from custody if the charges brought don’t carry long prison sentences.

“We were not after the money but we thought our daughter could have the chance of becoming famous if she took part in the contest,” HaberTurk quoted the mother of one of the women as saying. The paper identified her only by her first name, Remziye.

She said the women were not sexually harassed but were told to wear bikinis and dance by the pool.

The “Big Brother” show has courted controversy around the world since it debuted in 1999 in the Netherlands.

In 2007 a celebrity version of the show in Britain sparked a diplomatic spat after Indians complained that Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty was racially abused by fellow contestants.

In 2006, Australia’s then-Prime Minister John Howard appealed to the network broadcasting his country’s version of “Big Brother” to “get this stupid program off the air” after a male contestant rubbed his crotch in the face of a female housemate.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Firefighters respond to a 911 call on July 16, 2024, in Mill Creek. Firefighters from South County Fire, Tulalip Bay Fire Department and Camano Island Fire and Rescue left Wednesday to help fight the LA fires. (Photo provided by South County Fire)
Help is on the way: Snohomish County firefighters en route to LA fires

The Los Angeles wildfires have caused at least 180,000 evacuations. The crews expect to arrive Friday.

x
Edmonds police shooting investigation includes possibility of gang violence

The 18-year-old victim remains in critical condition as of Friday morning.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River. Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council approves water, sewer rate increases

The 43% rise in combined water and sewer rates will pay for large infrastructure projects.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

Pharmacist Nisha Mathew prepares a Pfizer COVID booster shot for a patient at Bartell Drugs on Broadway on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett lawmakers back universal health care bill, introduced in Olympia

Proponents say providing health care for all is a “fundamental human right.” Opponents worry about the cost of implementing it.

Outside of the updated section of Lake Stevens High School on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 in Lake Stevens, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens, Arlington school measures on Feb. 11 ballot

A bond in Lake Stevens and a levy in Arlington would be used to build new schools.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.