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Tasskin is a popular social media figure in Turkey |
A Turkish social media influencer says she is being prosecuted in Turkey for posting pictures taken inside the world-famous sex museum in Amsterdam as "jokes".
Merve Tasskin, 23, shared on his social media account photos of sex toys he bought from the museum during a trip to the Netherlands in January last year.
She says she was arrested a few months later in Turkey, where sharing pornography is a crime.
She says she has now been summoned to court to face charges of obscenity.
Under Turkish law, anyone who publishes pornographic material could face a fine or up to three years in prison.
"My point was just a joke," Tasskin told the BBC. Taskin has about 600,000 followers on Instagram.
When an attempt was made to contact the Turkish embassy in London, they did not respond.
"I'm afraid to testify."
Taskin, who lives in Istanbul, says she went to Amsterdam with two friends to celebrate her 22nd birthday.
One of the places she made a list of places was the Sex Museum, which attracts tourists from all over the world.
At the museum, she shared photos of items sold there on her Instagram, including penis-sized pasta and a 'sexy bottle opener'.
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Turkish Influencer Merve Tasskin |
To Merve Tasskin, the images were completely innocent, but in Turkey, the authorities viewed them differently.
She says she was arrested twice after her return, once during the summer holidays. On another occasion, she said that she had given a statement to the prosecution.
She thought that after that the matter would be settled. But earlier this year, she was surprised when a court in Istanbul summoned him back to court via text message.
The BBC has seen a screenshot of the text message, which states that Tasskin will appear in court on October 26 in a case of violation of Turkey's penal code.
Article 226 deals with offenses related to pornography which are considered offensive.
Tasskin says that after receiving the court summons, she has deleted many of her tweets so as not to complain again.
Tasskin says she is afraid to testify in court but will do so of her own free will. She tweeted about the court summons last week, and hes case has been receiving extensive coverage in the Netherlands ever since.
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The Sex Museum is one of Amsterdam's most famous landmarks |
She said the museum had sent her a message saying she was "sorry to hear about your plight" and further described her as "the best role model for other women".
"Our museum aims to inform people around the world about the history of sex," the message added. We commend you for expressing your feelings and for posting such pictures. "
Under Turkish law, websites, publishers and government critics face censorship and lawsuits over pornography.
Human rights groups say the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey has reduced freedom of expression online.
His critics see him as an authoritarian leader who does not tolerate dissent, and who severely silences anyone who opposes him and his orthodox, Islamic values.
NGO Freedom House
According to the report, Turkey is one of the most difficult places in the European region where freedom of expression and expression is very difficult to exercise. According to Freedom House, journalists, activists and opposition figures face "widespread persecution for criticizing the government."
Censorship of social media has been tightened since the Turkish parliament passed a law last year regulating social media platforms.
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