12/01/2026 | Writer: Kaos GL
Mabel Matiz appeared before a judge for the first time after his song "Perperişan" was banned on the grounds of “obscenity” and an investigation was launched against him.
Mabel Matiz appeared before a judge for the first time after his song “Perperişan” was banned on the grounds of “obscenity” and an investigation was launched against him.
According to Can Öztürk of T24, the panel of judges asked Matiz, “Was this song written for a man?” In response, Matiz said:
“I find this question upsetting and heartbreaking. If an arabesque singer had said this, you would not have asked the same question. Anyone can sing for anyone. It is not for me to draw the boundaries of that.”
In the indictment prepared, it was claimed that the expressions in the song Perperişan “indirectly incite sexual desire, contain erotic connotations through bodily and psychological metaphors, and include depictions oriented toward sexual intercourse.” Arguing that these depictions are understandable by everyone, the indictment asserted that broadcasting the song without an age restriction poses a danger to children. The indictment sought a prison sentence of six months to three years for Matiz on the charge of “facilitating the publication of obscene material.”
“This song is one drawn from folk songs”
The judge asked Mabel Matiz: “You are here on the allegation that the song lyrics are obscene. What do these lines mean: ‘cici toy bebe, sal kuşu hanesine, yanmalı hangisine?’”
Matiz replied as follows:
“I wrote this song a year and a half ago. The song was included in an album by a French group. They are very interested in this region. I, too, wrote a song inspired by folk literature. There is no meaning like the one inflated on social media. My stance as an artist is clear. Children and young people are very important to me. Therefore, it is out of the question that I wrote this with such an intention, as alleged. I do not think this song is obscene. This song is one drawn from folk songs. Since such songs are still broadcast on TRT, I believe there is no such issue here either. ‘Cici toy bebe’ refers to an adult individual. ‘Cici toy bebe’ is actually somewhat Ankara vernacular, but my intention here is to describe a mature person. My statement stands as it is. In folk literature, ‘kuş’ means fortune or destiny. It has different meanings, but it does not contain the meaning that is being implied. These are expressions of a bold lover, reflecting the magnitude of his love.”
“There are rulings by the Court of Cassation stating that every form of sexuality is natural”
Matiz’s lawyer also spoke regarding the accusations:
“For a child to draw a sexual inference, there must be explicit sexuality present. Otherwise, the presence of mere associations may amount to eroticism. Just now, you asked my client, ‘Is this a song sing by a woman to a woman or by a man to a man?’ There may be question marks in people’s minds. One might think that homosexuality is being implied. On this matter, there are rulings by the Court of Cassation. The Court of Cassation has decisions stating that every form of sexuality is natural. In essence, we are stuck at the material element of the crime. There is not even a material element present. Forcing my client to present this work under social pressure is also contrary to artistic freedom.”
Case to be referred to the Ministry of Family and Social Services
The prosecutor requested that the case be referred to the Ministry of Family and Social Services and that a report be obtained from the Ministry’s General Directorate of Child Services, the Board for the Protection of Minors from Obscene Publications, to determine whether the song lyrics are obscene. The court accepted the prosecutor’s request and ordered that the case be referred to the Ministry of Family and Social Services.
The hearing was adjourned to March 27 at 09.30.
What happened?
Mabel Matiz’s song “Perperişan” was targeted following complaints submitted through CIMER, Turkey’s Presidential Communications Center. The Ministry of Family and Social Services requested that access to the song be banned.
In a statement, the ministry claimed that “the song’s content could harm the family institution, negatively affect the mental development of children and young people, disrupt public order, and cause public outrage.”
The song was subsequently banned at the ministry’s request.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior filed a criminal complaint against Matiz with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office under Article 226 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The article, titled “Crimes Against Public Morality,” defines the offense of “obscenity.”
Responding to the case, Matiz said:
“I want to believe that our public order and general well-being are not so fragile as to be disrupted by a single song.”
Matiz added:
“I leave it to your pure hearts to decide what part I play in this story. As part of our most ancient cultural tradition of ozanlık (minstrelsy), I may well be both a witness and a storyteller. Finally, I want to believe that our public order and general well-being are not so fragile as to be shaken by a song. Amid these attempts to manipulate perception, I embrace with all my heart every fan whose mind or soul has been hurt.”
Who is Mabel Matiz?
Mabel Matiz is a Turkish singer and songwriter. He was born on August 31, 1985, in the town of Tömük, in the Erdemli district of Mersin. As a child, he experienced a severe stutter, which made it difficult for him to express himself and led him to writing as a means of communication. This search for expression eventually drew him toward music, literature, and singing. Throughout his childhood and early adolescence, Matiz primarily listened to Turkish pop music from the 1980s and 1990s. He began his musical education during his university years by taking guitar and vocal lessons and composed his first songs while studying at university. Active in his career since 2008, Matiz initially created his earliest songs as personal home recordings and released them anonymously on his MySpace page.
Tags: human rights, media, arts and culture, life, family, trans, lgbti
