1 hour Ago
What Happened
The post kicked things off with a rather odd invitation, asking followers to guess what the minister might have searched for online, starting with the line, "I'll start: what is a backbone?" Oxfam Novib later described the post as clumsy in hindsight. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. The comment section stayed live for a full 19 hours before the organization finally took the video down.
In its official response, Oxfam Novib explained that maintaining a safe online space is a priority for the organization, which is why its social media channels are moderated continuously throughout the day to remove hateful or discriminatory remarks. Once the comments beneath this particular post turned hostile and the organization could no longer guarantee that safe environment, they decided to pull it offline.
The organization also expressed regret that the post ended up triggering misogynistic and hateful responses aimed at an elected official, and confirmed it had personally apologized to Minister Yesilgoz for the fallout.
The Comments Themselves
What followed under the post was far from harmless. Users left remarks like "How do I fly on a broom?" and "How do I stay ugly?" alongside far more crude and invasive questions about her personal life and marriage. Several comments veered into racist and antisemitic territory, specifically targeting her husband, who is Jewish.
Public Reaction
The incident didn't go unnoticed. One commentator watched the situation unfold with a mix of shock and disbelief, noting how this kind of post tends to stir up trouble on social media, and pointed out just how much offensive material had piled up in the replies.
There was also a broader critique raised about the irony of the situation. An organization that publicly champions equality, freedom, and anti-racism ended up inviting the exact kind of sexist and antisemitic content it claims to oppose, which struck many as deeply contradictory.
One theory floated around the reaction was that Yesilgoz, as a bicultural woman who doesn't fit neatly into the ideological expectations of certain activist circles, tends to draw a disproportionate amount of anger and scrutiny from these groups.
The overall sentiment was clear: an organization that claims to stand against sexism and racism can't turn around and give its followers an opening to post exactly that kind of content without facing some serious questions about its judgment.
