Allegations of Exploitation at Charity Highlight Vulnerabilities of Refugee Women in Turkey

Thu Oct 30 2025 05:30:39 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The arrest of a Turkish charity leader reveals serious allegations of sexual exploitation of vulnerable women seeking aid, sparking outrage and prompting discussions on the risks faced by refugees.

Sadettin Karagoz, the head of a charity in Ankara, has been arrested amid allegations that he sexually exploited vulnerable women in exchange for aid. Testimonies from multiple Syrian refugee women paint a harrowing picture of exploitation, highlighting the precarious situation many face while seeking assistance from supposed benefactors. The case has ignited discussions about accountability and the safety of those who rely on charities for survival.

A Turkish charity owner at the center of sexual abuse allegations, brought to light by a BBC investigation, has been arrested.

BBC News Turkish revealed accusations that Sadettin Karagoz sexually exploited vulnerable women, promising them aid in return for sex. He denies all the allegations.

Mr. Karagoz set up his charity in Turkey's capital, Ankara, in 2014. Syrian refugees desperate for help said at first he seemed like an angel.

One of them, Madina, fled the Syrian civil war in 2016 and said that two years later, one of her children became critically ill and her husband abandoned her. Her name has been changed to protect her anonymity.

Left to care for three children alone, she went to Sadettin Karagoz's organization, which translates as the Hope Charity Store. It gathers donations for refugees such as nappies, pasta, milk and clothes.

He told her, When you have nowhere to go, come to me and I will look after you, she says. But when she did, Madina says he changed. She describes how Mr. Karagoz told her to go with him to an area in the office behind a curtain to get some supplies.

He grabbed me, she says. He started kissing me… I told him to get away from me. If I hadn't yelled, he would have tried to rape me.

Madina describes how she escaped from the building but Mr. Karagoz later went to her home. I didn't open the door because I was terrified, she says, explaining that he threatened to have her sent back to Syria.

Mr. Karagoz, a retired bank worker, denies the allegations and has told the BBC that his organization has helped more than 37,000 people. He says that the aid distribution area in the charity is small, crowded, and monitored by CCTV so he could not have been alone with any woman.

In total, three women, including Madina, told the BBC that Mr. Karagoz had sexually assaulted and harassed them. Seven other people, including two former employees of his charity, confirmed witnessing or hearing testimony of him committing acts of sexual abuse between 2016 and 2024.

The case has sparked outrage and provoked discussions about the treatment and safety of women in similar vulnerable positions, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability in charitable organizations.