On 28 May 2013, Orsal covered the 2013 protests in Turkey, capturing an iconic set of images of the protests. The images show a young protester (later nicknamed the "woman in red"), a young woman in a red dress, as she stands her ground while she is sprayed by a policeman.[1][2] The Washington Post reported that the image "encapsulates Turkey’s protests and the severe police crackdown", while Reuters called the image an "iconic leitmotif".[3] Protesters later re-used the image in posters, accompanied by the slogan "The more you spray the bigger we get".[4]
On 29 May, Orsal was injured by police when he was struck in the head by a gas canister.[1] A photograph of Orsal, with blood streaming down his face, was widely distributed.