Arif, the cheerful dancer arrested during Erdogan’s anti-LGBT raids

Ankara. Zenne Arif was on stage during the ‘Henna Festival’ when he was approached by vice squad officers who arrested him. The well-known ‘zenne’ dancer was performing a rousing belly dance in a nightclub in Izmir, in front of hundreds of young women – his fans – in Turkey’s most European city, whilst raids were simultaneously taking place in at least 15 provinces across the country against hundreds of members of the LGBTIQ+ movement. From Ankara to Istanbul, Izmir and other major cities, the operation – dubbed “My Family is Safe” by the Ministry of the Interior – had begun.

The night between 12 and 13 September will be remembered in Turkey as ‘the night of the pogrom’ against homosexuality: a massive crackdown on LGBTIQ+ organisations, their leaders and members, accused of promoting the indoctrination of minors and inciting them to homosexuality, the promotion of obscenity, vulgarity, pornography and prostitution. They are accused of using their practices to destroy the ‘Family’ with its Turkish, non-Western values. The Minister of the Interior speaks explicitly of defending the Turkish family, which is under threat from Western values deemed degenerate and prone to deviance; values which, according to Erdogan’s new vision, do not belong to local culture and tradition, but have been introduced by a sick West. The gendarmerie, together with the police, has launched a massive crackdown on the most prominent and militant organisations; 162 people have been arrested, dozens of centres and magazines have been shut down, and the headquarters of major Turkish organisations within the gay rights movement, such as Kaos Gl, have been raided. Numerous journalists and figures from the entertainment industry have also fallen into the net of the ‘Turkish morality police’, whilst hundreds of websites and social media accounts have been shut down.

What began as mere rhetoric from President Erdogan against homosexuality and in defence of the traditional family has now evolved into an attempt to bring about legislative change that would see homosexuality criminalised and punishable under the criminal code, as is the case in Libya, Lebanon, Iran and several other countries. This stance is already widespread in Russia. It seems that anyone who crosses the government’s increasingly strict ‘red lines’ on family and sexuality is no longer safe. During his early years as mayor of Istanbul, Erdogan had close associates who were known to be gay, but the days when the Turkish president spoke out as a defender of gender rights with these words are long gone: “Homosexuals, too, must be legally protected within the framework of their rights and freedoms.”

A high-profile victim of this new wave of repression is the dancer Arif Saçli, whose stage name is Zenne Arif, who rose to fame for his explicit dance videos shared on social media by millions of users. Arif is a ‘zenne’ artist who breaks away from the conventional image of the ‘zenne’ – that is, someone wearing women’s make-up and displaying effeminate movements. He loves to perform without make-up, showcasing his athletic, muscular physique in sumptuous, glittering costumes and eye-catching headdresses. He drew inspiration from the great oriental dancers such as Nesrin Topkapi and Didem. He has now become the face of the latest wave of repression, yet he is simply a man who chose to make a living through dance. A highly regarded artist capable of blending traditional oriental dance with modern styles, he performed at weddings, stag and hen parties, divorce celebrations, in private venues and, above all, at women-only matinees. On social media, he shared behind-the-scenes glimpses, costumes and choreography, amassing over a million followers. For Arif, dance knows no gender. “It’s a form of freedom and a way to carve out a place for oneself in the world,” he recently stated in an interview: “If I were born again, I’d choose this profession once more.” In the early days, he was ashamed of his profession; in winter he worked in retail and in summer he danced on boats in Çeşme. “I don’t drink alcohol or smoke, out of respect for my work, to conserve my energy and to avoid misunderstandings. I can’t ruin my life sitting behind a desk on the minimum wage just because my family wants me to; I’ll carry on living as I am: happy”: these were among Arif’s final statements before his arrest.